Shrouded Vision
by Cellie8705
Summary: AU. He flirted with countless people, even within the rebels, but not a single one of them brought that feeling back…until he met Kyle. KennyKyle, implied StanKenny. Please read and review.
1. Prologue

A/N: To all my readers, I'm so glad that you enjoy this story. I have been working on this story for over three or probably four years now and I've yet to complete it. I want to thank you all for being supportive, especially when I'm going through all these changes. There won't be any new chapters for a while because I want to have a better idea of where I am going with this story before just posting it up. Also, I'm making changes with some of these characters. I want to implement more characters from the show and minimize my original characters as much as possible.

For first timers, I must warn you that this story contains violence and male/male relationships. So if this is something that you are not comfortable with, please leave this page and read something more to your liking. I will not be accepting flames, but I will take constructive criticism.

Other than that, please enjoy and review.

_**Shrouded Vision**_

**Prologue**

_When the three-tailed comet travels through skies aflame, a demonic power will awaken from slumber and bring destruction upon the world. _

As evening approached, the sun made its slow descent, blanketed by the mountains and clouds. Shades from blue to pink tinted the heavens and clouds, while tree branches swayed with the silent melody of the summer breeze.

Sitting on a tree branch was a young boy of only five years old, golden locks tied back into a small ponytail as cerulean eyes stared at the scenery before him. He admired the masterpiece nature presented him, and he did not want it to end. But he knew that he would have to leave his place among the trees and return to the realm of the real world.

Without any troubles, he jumped down from the branch. He glanced back at the setting sun and began his trek down the hill to the city, unaware of the two hooded figures watching him from a distance. Once the little boy was out of earshot, the mysterious pair turned to each other.

"He's the one, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is."

"Should we capture him now?"

"No. It is not time yet. When the comet draws near, that will be our chance. Until then, we wait."


	2. I: Thorns of a Soul

**Chapter I: Thorns of a Soul**

_-15 years later-_

He sat in the far corner of the royal library, the table littered with books and scrolls his mentor provided for him. Sighing, he twirled his feather pen between his index and middle finger as he made an attempt to study the scripts in the book before him. There was just so much information he had to learn that it was getting unbearable. He stole a glance at his friend sitting across from him, studying one of the scrolls peacefully. How could he just sit there and study without a problem?

With a heavy sigh, he set his pen down and glanced around the library. The kingdom of Lasai was known to have the largest library in the Sinria region, carrying more than 30,000 books from all over Zira. There was a basement as well, where most of the scrolls were kept, and the top floor of the library was mainly used for studying astrology.

Normally, he would not come here, probably because he felt awkward being around the king's scholars and the nobles who lived within the castle walls. The reason for him being here was to prepare himself for his examination in basic magic skills. So far, he had no luck. He had been reviewing for the past two weeks, but nothing seemed to stick with him. With a loud groan, he buried his face in his arms.

The young man across from him looked up through ebony bangs. "Something wrong, Kenny?" he asked, concerned.

Kenny looked up. "Huh? Nothing is wrong, Stan," he mumbled.

Stan set his pen down. "I know something is bothering you. You can't hide it from me."

Sitting up, Kenny ran a hand through dirty blond locks. "I just don't understand the material Cerus assigned us. I'm trying to read but some of these words are just so complicated they confuse the hell out of me."

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad."

"Says you. I never learned how to read until coming here. There is still a lot of stuff that I need to learn in literature. You, on the other hand, were taught by your dad. So that gives you an advantage."

"You're smarter than you give yourself credit for. Hell, you have more logic than some of the nobles here. I'm sure you're gonna do fine. Trust me."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but you and I both know that I'm not gonna do well because I blow at magic. The only thing I am able to master is telekinesis, but that's because I've always had that ability. Cerus just helped me master it."

Stan's expression softened. Though he wasn't going to admit anytime soon, he knew that Kenny was struggling with his magic. His friend was barely able to manage some of the simple spells, but even then they still needed work. As Stan opened his mouth to say something, the loud shrill of an alarm sounded. That was an alarm to warn them of an attack. He searched the library, where the scholars left their belongings and rushed to the exit. Worried, Stan turned back to Kenny. "What the hell is going on?"

Kenny didn't say anything as he grabbed his sword and rushed to the large window close by. Cerulean eyes widened at the sight before him. Just beyond the windows, a sea of flames engulfed the city. Flaming arrows soared across the skies, burning anything in their paths. Flames consumed the rooftops, stables, and people's homes, and those who were trapped were doomed to be killed by the raging inferno. The enemy force went through the city like a tsunami, brutally murdering those who stood in their way as they made their way to the palace.

Members of the royal army rushed to join their colleagues already stationed on the curtain wall. They readied their bows and arrows and aimed at the enemy force coming with great velocity. Another line behind the archers loaded the catapults with large boulders and waited. Ground troops marched out of the castle gates with their weapons, holding their ground for further instructions.

"Fire at will!" ordered an officer, waving for the archers to release their arrows. A wave of arrows flew at once, colliding with the raging stream of men approaching the castle. The catapults were released as well, the boulders smashing through the army. This was a cue to the forces on the ground, and they charged at their enemy with violent tantrum. Swords clashed, blood spilled, and bodies fell to the ground, only to be trampled. A man on a horse took out a horn and blew hard into the mouthpiece.

Moments later, screeching of the Stymba birds reached everyone's ears. Under the moon's light, one could see their bronze, metallic feathers covering their bodies. The large birds brought their wings forward and shot their razor sharp feathers at the royal army. Men screamed as feathers impaled them while others turned to shoot the mighty birds down. Some were brought down from the catapults while some vivaciously dodged the archers' arrows. They swooped down, snatching men with their brass talons and retreated with their flailing prey while others shot more feathers at them.

From the library window, Kenny watched in horror. Memories from his childhood came flashing through his eyes as he remembered the day his hometown was burned to the ground, much in the same way as it was now. This could not be happening. This beautiful city could not be suffering the same fate as his hometown, he thought. He forced himself to tear his gaze from the sight just as Stan came up to him.

"Kenny!" Stan placed firm hands on his shoulders. "We have to get out of here! We have to find Cerus!"

Kenny nodded, but became worried as he saw a Stymba bird approaching the window at full force as it brought its wings forward. "Look out!" he yelled, shoving Stan away from him. He jumped out of the way as the bird's feathers shot through the large glass window-shattering it to pieces-and landed where he and Stan just stood. He glanced up at Stan and nodded. "Let's go!"

Without hesitation, Stan grabbed his lance and scrambled to his feet, following after Kenny as they left the library. They ran down the corridors of the castle. Servants and maids ran frantically, some assisting soldiers injured from battle while the others escorted the king's guests to a safe place; it was chaos. Kenny and Stan reached the end of the hall, where they spotted double doors leading to the high tower.

* * *

Standing in a midnight blue robe was a man, watching the chaos that reigned outside. For the fallen, there was no good or evil, he thought. Forest green pools closed, wishing for those taken away from the living realm to rest in peace. The double doors opened behind him, followed by rapid footsteps, pulled his eyes away from the scene to turn to Kenny and Stan.

"Cerus, what the hell is going on?" Kenny inquired.

"It is Trent's men. You two must leave the city." Cerus raised a hand to the entrance, and with a wave, bolted the doors shut.

"What?" exclaimed Kenny and Stan, staring at him as if he had grown another head.

Cerus said nothing and walked to the wall on his right. Taking his staff, he tapped three stones that formed a triangle and the wall emitted a green light with the royal family's seal. A moment later, a section of the wall parted, revealing a secret stairway. "This will lead down to where the basement is. At the bottom of these stairs, there are two tunnels. The left will lead to the knights' training grounds and the right will lead you to the outskirts of the city."

"What about you, Cerus?" Kenny asked.

"Do not worry about me, Kenneth. My duty is to protect the king and his family," said Cerus, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But before you depart, there is something I must give you." He walked to his desk, pulling the dresser open, and grabbing a leather-bound book. Turning back to Kenny, he handed it to him. "In this journal you will find some information that you should be aware of. This is about the mark you have on the back of your shoulder, and the power you hold."

"What?" Kenny asked, confused. "Cerus..." Before he could finish, the older man interrupted.

"Just take it." Hesitating, Kenny slipped the journal into his tunic, tucking it safely. "Now, you and Stanley must leave immediately before Trent and his men arrive."

A gust of wind blew in the room. "I'm afraid it's too late, Cerus," another voice interrupted. The voice was cold and emotionless, sending chills down Kenny and Stan's spines. Slowly, they turned to the source, where they found a man dressed in blood red and ash black armor. He had short, messy blond hair, and icy aqua eyes boring onto them. Kenny and Stan were overwhelmed with the dark power that the man emitted. It was as if an invisible force stole the air out of their lungs.

Five goblins accompanied the man—their lumpy skin a dark green and gray frizzy hair decorated their heads. Bony fingers wrapped around old swords, their nails almost as long as their fangs. Rusted earrings were attached to their long, pointed ears and bone necklaces derived from small animals hung around their necks.

"Hello, Cerus. It has been a long time since we last encountered," said the man, stepping forward.

"Trent!" Cerus exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm getting my revenge, old friend..." Trent replied, a mischievous smirk pulling his lips as he unsheathed his sword. Before, anyone had a chance to respond, he disappeared.

Cerus knew what was coming. He pivoted around, using his staff to block the blade from piercing his back. "This is revenge for getting in my way all those years ago."

"Cerus!" both Stan and Kenny screamed. They made a move to aid their tutor, but was blown back by Trent's spurt of magic. Brett jumped away and readied his blade.

The two friends brought themselves up onto their feet, glaring at Trent. "You brats have grown, but do you think you can take me down?" Trent taunted. "The gap between us is still great."

Kenny and Stan made a move to attack when the five goblins jumped before them, blocking their path. "Where do you think you're going?" sneered one, pointing his sword at Stan. "You must first pass through us!" The other goblins jeered as they raised their weapons.

"Guess it can't be helped," said Stan as he held his lance before him. Kenny readied himself, keeping a firm grip on the hilt of his sword. He turned to Stan, who nodded that he was ready to fight. Turning to the group of goblins, they charged with a yell.

Trent chuckled. "Now they won't get in the way."

Cerus glared at him. "They looked up to you as a wizard! They considered you their brother! You broke their trust and mine!"

"Silence, old man. I've had enough of your talk," Trent said, raising his sword once more and placed his weight on his back leg. "It was because of you I was exiled." He charged once more at Cerus, who parried the incoming blade and moved to hit the back of his head with his staff. Trent reacted quickly and caught the staff in his hand.

"My duty is to protect and advise the royal family! Did I not teach you magic for good? Did I not teach you all I know?"

"Everything but the Art of the Black Phoenix."

"I did not teach that because it's too dangerous and corrupted!"

Trent chuckled, still holding onto Cerus' staff. With great force, he pulled at the staff, swinging Cerus with it. The other landed against his desk, the corner jabbing him in the back.

Cerus groaned and fell to his knees. "It doesn't matter now, Cerus." He raised his sword, a dark red light radiating from the blade as he readied to strike him. "I have learned the Art of the Black Phoenix from a demon, and with this newfound power I will win this battle." With the swing of his sword, a ray of red light shot in Cerus' direction.

Acting quickly, Cerus rolled to the side, barely avoiding the attack. He looked up just in time to see Trent jumping at him, ready to attack again. Outstretching his hands before him, he yelled, "Five point shield!" A transparent shield appeared before him. Trent's blade collided with the shield and forced the other back.

Trent held his sword against the shield with one hand and allowed his other hand to release the hilt. With his free hand, he conjured a black and silver energy sphere. Cerus saw this and a look of panic crossed his features. There was no time to counter the attack with another spell. The energy sphere was released and collided with him. There was an explosion, illuminating the study room with black and silver light. Lamps shattered from the blast, while scrolls and books littered the room.

The smoke cleared and Cerus' figure stood, his robe torn and a large wound on his left shoulder down to his side, blood flowing from it. Blood-coated brunette hair clung onto his perspired face and neck. He used his staff to keep himself from falling.

"I'm surprised you were able to dodge my attack last minute. For this, I must give you praise. But even then, you are heavily injured." He took a step towards him, pointing the tip of his blade at him. "It is obvious that I have surpassed you. Surrender now, and perhaps your life will be spared. We may be able to fight together, side by side once again."

"I will never surrender, especially to traitorous pupils!" Cerus snapped with regained energy. Holding his hand above him—ring and pinky fingers bent, he began the incantation:

_Bright light to aid us through the night_

_Watching over the earth with might_

_I call upon you to aid me in this fight_

_Deliver me the warrior and take flight!_

Sparks of white light appeared on his fingertips as he finished the incantation. Bringing his arm in front of him, he pointed his fingers at his opponent and fired a ray of light at him. It took the form of a dragon and roared as it charged at Trent. The other dodged the attack, but when Cerus waved his hand towards him, the dragon turned and flew at him once more. He rolled to the side and placed his sword behind his back as his free hand readied another energy sphere. As the light dragon flew to attack him, he released the magic sphere at it, creating another explosion as it hit.

With a loud roar, the dragon flew through the smoke and shot at him. Quickly, Trent brought his sword up to guard himself just as the winged beast collided with him. The dragon bit down on the blade, where it began to glow brighter. In an instant, the dragon exploded, catching Brett in its final attack. The force of the attack sent strong winds through the room and spurts of light magic flying in all directions.

Once the smoke cleared, Trent staggered out with a cough. Blood flowed from his temple down his cheek. Aqua eyes fell on Cerus, who was struggling to remain standing. Bringing up his sword, he said, "Looks like you still have some fight in you after all. But now is the time to end this." He sheathed his sword and outstretched his arms in front of him. Raising his arms above him, he began to chant:

_The ash phoenix flies_

_Clouding the blue skies_

_Disappear into the night _

_May your cries bring fright!_

Cerus knew that spell. It was from the Art of the Black Phoenix, the powerful forbidden magic. There was no way he could use a spell strong enough to override Brett's spell with his current condition.

As soon as Trent finished the incantation, Cerus found himself clouded in darkness. He heard the screeching of the black phoenix and the swishing as it flew by him. It flew by him multiple times before the screeching ceased and Cerus noticed that he was back in his study. He did not feel anything while the spell was taking its effect, but now that it was over, he felt pain all over his body. More cuts appeared on his body, his robe torn to shreds, and blood stained his skin and hair. No longer could he hold himself up and slammed to the ground, coughing blood. He strained his neck to the man he once called his student.

Trent unsheathed his sword once more and slowly walked up to Cerus, but grunted in pain as an ache went through his side. Curse this wretched body, he thought. Of all the days for his body to break down, it had to be now.

He disregarded the feeling and resumed walking. "Are you impressed, _master_? Now you've seen what I can do. I have power now, Cerus, but unfortunately for you, you will not be there to witness my true strength." He placed the tip of his sword to Cerus' neck. "This is the end for you, old man." Just as he raised his sword to deliver the final blow, he heard a scream.

Looking up, he saw Stan running up to him with his lance. A goblin jumped before him in an attempt to stop him, but was unsuccessful as Stan swiftly sliced through its torso with the already tainted tip. With a yell, Stan jumped at Trent, prepared to strike him. Trent grabbed the lance without much effort. A sinister grin crept onto his lips and with his blade, struck Stan's side. Blood splattered from his wound onto the floor beside his feet.

Stan stood on shaky legs, his grip still on his weapon. "Sh...shit," he cursed under his breath. He fell to his knees when his legs could no longer support him. No, this could not be happening, he thought. He had to stop Trent. Bright blue eyes locked with cold aqua ones, challenging him even in his condition.

"You bastard!" screamed Kenny, ready to strike. He could not allow Trent to get away with his actions; he was going to pay.

Trent snatched Stan by his tunic and with unbelievable strength, threw him against Kenny as if he was a rag doll. Stan collided with his friend. The impact forced the two to fly back and slam against the bookshelf near the entrance. Stan hit his head, hard against a shelf and knocked him unconscious.

Kenny sat up, shaking his head. He turned to Stan. "Stan?" he asked, shaking him. No response. "Damn it." He grabbed his sword and stood on wobbly legs. He must not give up. There was no way he was going to give up now, especially when his teacher needed help. Clutching onto his sword, he charged at Trent with a yell.

Cerus coughed and willed his body to move, but refused. His eyes began to get heavy as he felt death creeping up on him. His gaze was blurry, but managed to see Kenny's silhouette running at Trent. He could hear the young man screaming, but it came muffled in his ears. Closing his eyes, he allowed a stray tear to run down his cheek. Kenneth, be strong, he thought, awaiting for the moment the reaper would take him from this plane and guide him to the spirit realm.

"Farewell, Cerus," Trent said with a triumphant grin. He brought his sword down, stabbing the man who once mentored him. Blood splattered onto his armor as Cerus' body twitched violently before he laid lifeless in a pool of his blood.

"NO!" Kenny roared. "Trent! You monster!" He glared at him, his cerulean eyes glowing to a lighter blue. The light radiated from his body and sword.

Trent watched in surprise. He had known Kenny when he and Stan were first taken in by Cerus, and he knew that this young man was weak in magic. He couldn't do much with simple magic. So what the hell was this? He sensed a powerful force coming from Kenny, something that he did not see in him before.

Kenny swung his sword with a yell and a blue ray of light fired from the tip.

Trent jumped high into the air before the attack could hit. There was a large explosion, books and furniture blown into pieces when caught in the attack. Trent watched, shocked at the display. Who would have thought Kenny of all people could do an attack like that? He glanced back to the younger male, who stood frozen in place, eyes wide. That energy that Trent was sensing was gone now, and a mischievous grin graced his lips. "Well, well, well. I never knew you had it in you, Kenny," he mocked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I guess you're not completely hopeless."

Hearing his cold voice brought Kenny out of his thoughts, and glared at Raul. "You will pay, Trent!"

The other chuckled, as if he had heard the most absurd thing. "What are you going to do, Kenny?" he asked. "Are you going to use that attack of yours? Can you even pull it off again?" His smile widened when he saw the doubtful look as Kenny turned away. "Stan is in no condition to fight, and Cerus was slain by my blade. What makes you think you'd stand a chance against me?"

Kenny averted his gaze to the ground, lowering his blade with shaky hands. He cursed to himself. Trent was right. What chance did he have against him? The other was too far advanced in magic and an agile swordsman as well. If he faced him, he would surely suffer the same fate as Cerus. There was that attack he did, but he didn't even _know _how he did it. Chances of him doing that again were slim. He stole a glance to Stan's unconscious form by the bookshelf, then to the fallen figure of Cerus. Just the sight of it all angered and terrified him.

No. There was no way he could allow them to have their efforts go in vain. He must not let them down. Gripping the hilt of his sword, he raised his blade before him, prepared to fight. Even though he could not pull an attack like he did before again, he would find another way to defeat Trent. He shook in his spot, cursing himself to stop. Sweat rolled down his forehead as the rate of his breathing increased.

"You were always a fool. Looks like things have not changed at all," Trent scoffed, placing a hand on the sword's hilt. In an instant, he dematerialized.

As soon as he vanished, panic coursed through him as he searched for him. Before he could do anything, there was a sharp pain in his right side and blood seeped from the wound that just appeared. It happened so fast, he didn't see it coming. What happened? How? Trent appeared behind him, his sword dripping with blood.

He struggled to remain standing, to continue fighting, but it was no use. He fell forward, slamming to the ground. "You're pathetic," said Trent. "Still weak as ever, Kenny."

With a shuddering breath, he gripped his sword, and with his remaining energy, he painfully pushed himself up, only to collapse once more. Fatigue gnawed at him, but he scolded himself not to submit to the world of unconsciousness. Minutes passed slowly, and the battle against sleep was in vain. "Cerus, I'm sorry. Forgive me," he breathed out before his eyes dropped closed as he succumbed to darkness.

Smirking, Trent stared at the river of blood flowing from Kenny. "What a poor excuse for a wizard." He turned around and the pain in his side returned, more fierce than the previous time. It spread along his abdomen as well as his right shoulder. With an irritated growl, he sheathed his sword as he stepped over a dead goblin's corpse. The faint yells of men and the abrupt bang on the bolted doors pulled his attention away from his distress.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The pounding continued until finally, the doors busted open and armored men filed into the study hall like a herd of cattle.

Among the men, one stepped forward, wearing armor with a black beast etched onto the breastplate. A burgundy cape hung behind him. The man had shoulder-length black hair tightly pulled back into a ponytail. He approached Raul and knelt before him. "My lord, we have control of the castle," he informed. "And we also obtained the key you wished for." He stood up and handed an amulet to him. It was a bronze color with a rectangular shape to it with the engravings of the royal seal on one side and a two-headed minotaur carrying an ax upon the other.

"Well done, Alex," Trent said. He delicately took the blood-tainted pendant from Alex. "And what of the king and family?"

"The royal family were not present in the palace, my lord. They must have fled from Lasai."

"How did you manage to get this key? Only the next of kin would bear it."

"The pendant was found in the hands of a dead maid, my lord."

"I see. Search for them, they could not have gone far," Trent ordered. He glanced down at the unmoving figures of Cerus' pupils. He point to Stan and Kenny's form. "Patch up whatever wounds these two have and throw them into cages with the other prisoners. Then we will head back to Xeni." His gaze then shifted to Cerus' and the goblins' bodies that laid scattered in the room. "As for the goblins and Cerus, feed them to the birds."

"Yes, sir!" Alex answered, bowing. He waved for two men to take Kenny while another two lifted Stan up. The commanding officer bowed in respect as Trent passed him, walking to the exit. The other men parted, allowing the dark ruler to pass as he departed from the room he once studied in.


	3. II: The Promise

**Chapter II: The Promise**

It was still dark out in the depths of the Dilazefi Forest, where the fog had settled and coated the ground, and branches rustled as a light breeze blew through. Tents and carriages were set and men gathered around the campfire, cheering. The horses snorted as they nipped at the grass. Next to them were two cage wagons.

Kenny's eyes fluttered open, his vision blurred and head aching. Not only that, but his whole body hurt. It was as if he had been kicked by a horse, or even crushed by a boulder. He could hear a conversation between men, but paid no heed to it. He groaned and closed his eyes, allowing the pain to ease in his head. It was then that he remembered his recent ordeal.

Blue orbs snapped open and Kenny abruptly sat up. His aching head intensified from the sudden movements. To add to that, there was a burning sensation on his side. Gritting his teeth to stay quiet, he looked down at his side. He lifted his tunic with chained wrists to look at his wound, and what he saw surprised him. He saw that there was a lot of blood. That wasn't what surprised him, though. What caught his attention was that his wounds were bandaged. Someone had treated him while he was unconscious.

He started bleeding due to his sudden movements; he must have reopened his wounds this way. Not wanting to make it worse, he slowly scooted to the side of the cage wagon and rested against it as he thought about who would possibly treat him. Who treated him? Perhaps it was one of Trent's men. If that's the case, why would they treat his wounds, especially if Trent wanted him dead? Maybe, Trent needed him alive for something, but for what? This puzzled Kenny. He tried looking for possibilities about him being kept alive, but none came to mind. Perhaps this was something he would never know.

Defeated, he thought back to what happened the last time he was conscious. Memories flashed in his mind; the battles he endured with the goblins, the explosions, and Cerus' death. He took the journal his tutor gave to him from his tunic, running his calloused hand along the leather cover. He closed his eyes and brought his chained wrists to cover the tears he was fighting to keep contained. _'Cerus...'_ he thought. _'I can't believe he's...If only I had stopped Trent. I should have been able to help him. I should have...Damn it!'_ Gritting his teeth, he grew furious at Trent for demolishing the lives of many people, for betraying and killing his mentor. He was also infuriated with himself, for his inability to save Cerus' life, for not being strong enough to defeat Trent.

With a frustrated sigh, he sat back and took in his surroundings. In the cage wagon with him were other men, some possibly from the city, and others Kenny recognized as soldiers of the king's army due to the lion etched on their armor. Looking to his left, he found another cage wagon holding more prisoners, one of the he recognized as Stan. From what he could see, Stan's chest rose and fell in rhythm, indicating that he was still alive. Knowing this, Kenny was relieved. Behind him, a group of men and goblins gathered around the campfire, cheering. "Victory!" one man slurred joyously, raising a mug of rum. "To the fall of Lasai!" The group cheered as they too raised their mugs and carelessly downed their drinks, spilling rum on their clothing.

Disgusted, he sat back once more. He twisted his wrists, iron scraping against his pale skin. What was he going to do now that he was captured? How was he going to escape from this place?

There was nothing he could do, but to listen to the obnoxious talk from Trent's men. Much time passed before all was silent. Glancing over his shoulders, he noticed that most of the men and goblins were getting up and walking back to their tents, some of them stumbling over their feet due to their intoxicated state. Finally, they disappeared into their tents. "At least I don't have to listen to their crap," he muttered to himself. Before settling himself again, something caught his eyes. Squinting, he saw that it was a pair of keys. Could they be the keys to the cages? They just had to be. What other purpose could those keys have?

Either way, he had to try. This was his only opportunity, and he must not let this chance slip by. He placed Cerus' journal back into his tunic and shifted to a more comfortable position. "I can do this," he whispered under his breath. "I have to." With determination, he focused his gaze on his target. His left hand gripped around a rusty bar to the point where his knuckles blanched. With his other hand, he extended it as far as the shackles allowed and stared at the keys. Moments passed and nothing happened until he heard a faint clink.

This gave Kenny some hope, but he must not let his concentration slip away. With slow movements with his fingers, he slowly raised them from the ground. The keys floated in the air, but didn't stay long as they dropped with a loud clank. Kenny held his breath.

One of the men who was asleep by the fire stirred and looked up with half-closed eyes. "Huh? Who's there?" he slurred and waited for a response, but received none. With a moan, his head lolled back as he mumbled incoherently and falling back asleep.

Relieved, Kenny once again stretched his hand out toward the keys. Once again, the keys were raised. The young apprentice waved his hand in his direction, and the keys floated to him. But, all of sudden, they stopped moving. Confused, he waved his hand for the keys to come. Without warning, they charged at him and collided with his forehead. "Ow!" What a way to start the day, he thought as he sat back and rubbed the area where the keys made contact. After easing his pain, he grabbed the keys and inserted one of them into the keyhole of his shackles. Upon turning it, the manacles clicked open. A triumphant smirk tugged at his lips as he removed the iron chains from his wrists.

As quiet as a lurking cat, he crawled to the door. But as he made his way, his gaze fell upon the other hostages. I can't just leave these people behind, he thought, and made their way to them. One of the villagers, an elderly man, stirred and stared at him.

"W-What is happening?" he asked, with a panic stricken voice.

"It's all right. I'm here to help you," Kenny whispered, inserting the key into the shackles. The iron restraints clicked open and his wrinkled hands frantically removed the chains. The elderly man rubbed his wrists, glad to no longer be imprisoned in the manacles' grasp.

"Thank you," he praised, shaking Kenny's hand.

Minutes passed, and Kenny crawled back to the door once he released the other hostages from the shackles. He reached for the lock and inserted the other key, twisting it open. The door creaked open. Looking around the camp, he searched for men who might still be lurking around the camp. He turned to the other captives, all eager to breathe in the air of freedom. With a nod, Kenny pushed the door further and crawled out of the wagon. One by one, the prisoners filed out, thanking Kenny before sprinting for the forest's depths. As he assisted them out, four scouts walked into the camp.

The soldiers caught sight of their prisoners running for the forest, and Kenny helping them. "He you!" one scout yelled.

Kenny turned, like a raccoon caught stealing food. He shifted his position, getting ready to fight. "Hurry! Get out of here!" he yelled over his shoulder. When he no longer heard the running footsteps of the other men, he turned his full attention to the soldiers.

Unsheathing their swords, the scouts charged at Kenny. The young apprentice leaped back as a blade slashed at his chest. He ducked and jumped back as a the blade swung at him. There was nothing he could do but to evade the attacks, not giving him a chance to counter. The man stopped for a short moment, back hunched slightly, his breathing heavy as he held his sword in front of him. Kenny noticed this; the soldier was getting tired. This was something he could take advantage of.

As the man swung his sword again, Kenny ducked and punched him in the stomach. He grabbed the solider and tossed him into the vacant wagon. Coming from behind was another soldier, ready to stab him with his blade. Kenny grabbed the man's arm, yanked him forward, kneed him, and delivered an uppercut to his jaw. The man stumbled back, and Kenny took this opportunity as he grabbed the man and tossed him onto his comrade in the wagon. Hurriedly, Kenny shut the door, grabbed the lock next to his feet, and latched the carriage that now held his enemies. He grinned triumphantly at his work until a large, burly man seized Kenny and slammed him onto the other wagon. The cage rattled violently from the impact. Kenny looked to the side. The soldiers who fell asleep by the fire stirred, and sat up. They staggered onto their feet when they saw the situation and stumbled to the cage wagons.

Stan, who was awakened by the commotion, rubbed the back of his head. With shackled wrists, he rubbed his temple in small circular motions, in an attempt to ease the pain. He blinked several times until his vision cleared. To his right, he saw Kenny, pinned onto the carriage, struggling to remove the hand wrapped around his throat. "Kenny!" Stan exclaimed as he crawled to assist his friend, but the ache in his head came back and forced him to stop. He gritted his teeth as he made effort to calm the pounding in his head.

Kenny gasped and gagged. His lungs longed for oxygen, his chest burned with agony, and his feet dangled wildly, searching for the ground. Gathering his strength, Kenny raised his feet, pressed them against the man's torso, and pushed. Once again, his efforts were in vain.

"Kill him!" cheered one of the guards whom Kenny imprisoned.

"Break his neck, Saxton!" the other encouraged. The other two watched excitedly in their still drunken state. Saxton grinned maliciously to show his decaying teeth. A patch covered his right eye, and his left stared straight at Kenny.

Stan glanced up once again. What was he supposed to do? He searched for anything he could use to distract the man strangling Kenny, but found nothing. An idea came into mind. Stan closed his eyes, clenched his right hand and chanted the words:

_The time has come_

_To allow thy body rest..._

One of the men turned to Stan as he began the incantation. "What are you doing?" he slurred, the smell of rum in his breath. He stumbled towards him.

_Away from the day_

_And into the starlit night._

_Gently drift away _

_To the land of slumber_

Stan unclenched his hand as a silver cloud materialized in his palm. He guided it up toward the heavens with his shackled hands, and allowed it to float up. The soldiers watched it travel to the sky, curious. The cloud faded into the darkness. Slowly, his hands descended. As he did this, stardust drizzled from the troposphere, sprinkling onto the soldiers' faces. Seconds later, they all began to feel drowsy, and it didn't take them long before they fell asleep. Saxton wrinkled his nose as the stardust made contact with it. His grip around Kenny's throat loosened.

Taking the opportunity, Kenny elevated his feet once again, pressed them to Saxton's chest, and pushed. Saxton's large fingers slipped from his throat and fell back with a wallop. Kenny fell to his knees, coughing violently. He inhaled deeply, allowing the refreshing air into his lungs.

"Kenny?" Stan asked, concerned. "You okay?"

"I'll...be fine," Kenny replied between breaths and coughed again. His legs wobbled as he stood and held onto the wagon to keep his balance. He observed Saxton, along with the other soldiers. He glanced back to his friend with a smirk and raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping spell?"

"Of course." A small grin tugged at his lips.

Kenny's mildly amused expression transitioned to a serious one. "We have to get out of here. I'm sure people will start waking up, especially after all that commotion. I have to find the keys. I dropped them during that fight." He went down on his hands and knees, looking for them.

As he searched for them, a man exited from his tent. He had short and messy brown hair, matching with his narrow eyes, and eyebrows knitted together as he scowled. On his right arm was a large tattoo of the letter "S". He pulled his sword from its scabbard and crept up on the intruder.

After shuffling through the leaves, Kenny spotted the keys. He grabbed them and walked to the cage wagon where Stan was held. Just as he inserted the key into the lock, Stan yelled, "Kenny, behind you!"

He glanced behind to see a man holding his sword in the air, preparing to strike. Kenny leaped to his left. With his hands firmly on the ground, he rose a foot to kick the man's side. His enemy blocked the attack with his arm and pivoted to deliver a kick. Kenny rolled forward and grabbed the sword still sheathed on Saxton's hip. He pulled it out and blocked the incoming blade. This gave him an opportunity to see who his attacker was, and his scowl deepened. "You!" Kenny spat.

"Lieutenant!" another voice resounded.

Looking passed the man, Kenny noticed two more soldiers running towards him. Great. Just what he needed, he thought. The lieutenant pushed Kenny back and swung his sword again. Kenny dodged once more and countered with a kick to his head. He ran back to the cage wagon.

"Kenny, get out of here!" Stan exclaimed.

"No! There's no way in hell I'm leaving you!" Kenny argued, fumbling with the keys. Suddenly, a man snatched him from behind and flung him to the ground. Another blade hovered over him when he gazed up, ready stab him. With quick reactions, he rolled away as the blade came down and countered with a kick to the soldier's side.

"Kenny, don't worry about me! I'll be fine!" Stan insisted.

"I"m not leaving you here! Trent's men are mad!"

"Damn it, Ken! Stop trying to be a hero and save yourself!"

"But..."

"You can't help me if you die! Trent kept us alive for a reason. I'll be okay."

"Stan..." Kenny didn't get a chance to finish as a blade pierced through his tunic, nearly slicing his left side. Kenny elbowed the man's nose and both feet kicked his jaw as he jumped forward.

"Just run! Go already! You can come back for me later!"

Kenny was lost; he didn't know what to do. He didn't want to leave his childhood friend in the hands of a madman, but this was his only chance of getting away. Stan was right, he would not be helping if he was captured or dead. "I-I'll come back for you. That's a promise." Turning away, he sprinted from the camp.

The lieutenant sat up, growling as he watched Kenny's silhouette vanish into the forest's depths. "Lieutenant Scott!" a soldier yelled as he and his underlings ran to his aid. Two men hoisted him onto his feet. "Are you hurt, lieutenant?"

"No!" Scott snapped as he roughly pulled his arm away from the men's grasp. "Go after him!"

"Yes, sir!" They ran to their horses, and rode off in the direction Kenny disappeared to.

"That son of a bitch is going to regret crossing paths with me," Scott growled. Hearing a groan, he glanced behind as a soldier slowly sat up. Scott pointed a finger at him, as if accusing him. "You there!"

The man looked up, and upon recognizing his commanding officer, scrambled onto his feet. "Lieutenant!" he saluted, standing straight, head high. "What are your orders?"

"Gather some men together and search for any other prisoners who have escaped," Scott ordered. "Bring them back, and if they refuse, then kill them."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier complied and ran back into the heart of the camp to gather men together. Scott ran to his horse, jumped onto its back, and kicked its side with his heel. The large animal galloped away from the bivouac and faded into the forest.

* * *

Kenny fell to his knees, sweat running down the side of his face and forehead, and his breathing was heavy. He looked up at the mountains as the sun gradually rose for another day. The heavens were painted in dark shades of blue, tinted with yellow and orange while the clouds were colored with pink and violet. As much as he wanted to stop and enjoy the view, he had to continue running. If he stopped now, Scott and his men would catch up. He looked down and realized that Cerus' journal had slipped from his tunic and laid on the ground in front of him. Picking it up, he slipped it back securely into his tunic. With renewed determination, he stood and started running again. He must not stop. Stan believed in him and he must not let Cerus' efforts go in vain.

Pounding hooves, along with the yelling of men were heard. They were not far behind. He ran faster, jumping over the fallen branches and logs in his path, despite how exhausted he was.

He didn't know how long he was running, nor did he care. He came to an abrupt stop as he came to a ledge. Small rock fell and was lost in the river below. The raging waters of the Asalian River flowed with great speed, the waters sloshing against stones and trees trapped in its wrath. The sound of hooves came to a stop and the chuckling of men reached his ears. He turned around as the soldiers cornered him. The men got off their horses—with the exception of Scott—and walked toward Kenny.

"There is nowhere to run," said Scott, grinning menacingly. He gripped a bow in his left hand. "You can't escape, brat. Surrender now and maybe your life will be spared. You may even have a place in this legion if you want."

"Go to hell!" Kenny hissed. "I refuse to join the person who destroyed Senella!"

"Oh? A survivor of Senella. How interesting. It's been what, five years since my gang destroyed that city?" He turned to his men. "Get him!"

The men closed in on him, with evil grins. "This is the end for you," said one of them. One soldier raised his sword to strike, but Kenny pulled at his arm, kicked him in the gut, and finished with an uppercut to the enemy's jaw. He snatched the sword as the other two darted at him with a yell. He blocked an incoming blade with his newly acquired weapon. With agile movement, he kicked the man's chest.

Scott watched the battle with mild interest as blades collided. He raised his bow and pulled an arrow out. He placed it on the string, aimed it at Kenny, and waited. He released the arrow when Kenny's gaze fell onto him. It pierced his right shoulder and with the sudden impact, Kenny stumbled back. His right foot slipped from the ledge and fell back. Quickly, his left hand grabbed onto the ledge.

Scott smirked. He got off his horse and walked to the ledge. Glancing down, he spotted Kenny struggling to pull himself up. He stared into cerulean depths as he stepped onto his fingers. Kenny cringed as his foe increased the pressure on his digits. His grip started to loosen. "Such a shame that a worthy swordsman such as yourself is fated to die. But, you may still have a chance at living _if_ you join the legion and serve Lord Trent," Scott offered. "This is your final chance."

"I gave you my answer already! I refuse! I won't take orders from a dick like you!"

Scott growled and applied more pressure. "_You're_ the dick here. This is the end for you. Greet Cerus for me in the Spirt Realm."

Unable to hang on anymore, Kenny fell into the waters of the fierce river below. Scott chuckled, watching the angry stream. His grin widened as a leather-bound journal emerged to the water's surface, floating away with the heavy currents.

"This is what happens when you defy us!" Scott yelled to the remaining prisoners. He jammed a post into the ground next to a few others. Upon the posts were severed heads of the men who had escaped earlier that morning.

"You better do as we say or you'll be added to this small collection we have here. So I suggest you make yourselves comfortable in there and don't try anything funny!" Scott threatened, venom etched in his voice. With a grunt, he marched back to his tent. His men chuckled and sneered at the hostages as they passed by the wagon.

Stan couldn't bear to see the heads, for he feared one of them was was Kenny's. He inhaled shakily and turned to the young villager beside him. "M-My friend, the one who attempted to save us earlier...i-is he among those they brought back?" Stan stuttered, fearing of what the answer might be.

"No," the villager replied. "He might have gotten away."

He sighed, a little relieved. "I sure hope so."


	4. III: Resolve

**Chapter III: Resolve**

As the morning sun hung in the sky, a woman strolled through the forest, dry leaves and branches crunching with each step she took. She approached the river—calm and serene—glistening from the sun's light. She sat near the river, staring at its tranquil waters. A soothing breeze blew, the tree branches swaying back and forth in rhythm. Autumn leaves left their places on the branches, some slowly falling to the ground while others landed upon the water's surface.

She ran her hand through her shoulder-length black hair, pushing it away. A single braid fell to the side of her face as she placed her blades on her lap and picked at the tiny rocks around her. She threw some into the river, disrupting the peaceful waters for just a moment. The woman searched around her surroundings, awed with what nature had to present.

Much time passed and she massaged her neck, which was beginning to ache. She grabbed her elbow blades as she stood and stretched her arms over her head. Time to head back to the camp, she thought. The woman took another look around the area when she caught sight of something down the river. What was that, she wondered. As she walked to the mysterious object, she realized it was a man, lying unconscious on the shore.

He laid face down, his body soaked from the river. He was a young man and it appeared that he had been through many battles due to the scars and wounds on him. His blond hair—tinted with blood—was matted against his forehead and the side of his face.

She inched closer to the body and knelt next to him. She set her blades next to her and carefully turned him onto his back. She noticed the half broken arrow in his right shoulder. Leaning forward, she heard the soft yet ragged breathing coming from the man. Grabbing the arrow, she attentively pulled it out. The man groaned, but didn't wake as she pulled the rest of it out. She inspected the arrowhead and sniffed it, cringing when a strong scent burned her nose and trachea. "Poison," she whispered. The woman gritted her teeth, clenching the broken arrow in her fist. "Scott." She leaned forward to observe the man's blood-stained face. She pushed strands of hair away to reveal a gash upon his temple. "I have to take him back to the camp."

Grabbing her weapons, she attached them to her hips before leaning down and wrapped an arm around his torso. She placed one of his arms around her shoulders and lifted him up.

But things were not going the way she planned. It was difficult for her to keep the stranger from falling. This is going to take a while, she thought. As she walked, she spotted a man walking in her direction. He was short in height and thin, but not scrawny. He had blond, disheveled hair in contrast with his bright, brown eyes. His clothing was torn and tainted, and bandages were visible on his arms. At last, he had met with the woman, fidgeting with his hands. "A-Ali! There you are! Why, everyone is waiting back a-at the camp. Christophe s-sent me to search for you," the man stuttered, rubbing his knuckles together. His gaze fell to the man Ali held. "Uh...who is this?"

"Butters, this man needs treatment. He was shot by one of Scott's poison arrows," Ali replied, somewhat out of breath.

"W-Where did you find him?"

"At the river."

"Uh...w-what's his condition now?"

"I don't know how bad it is at this point."

"Oh, w-well, okay. Maybe Bebe can treat his wounds." He turned and started walking back to the camp, but was stopped when Ali called for him.

"Butters?"

He turned to face her. "Y-Yeah?"

"A little help?" she asked, motioning to the stranger she barely managed to keep up.

"Oh! Golly, Ali, y-you should have asked."

She glared at him, but let it go. She helped the foreigner onto his back, careful not to make things worse for the man.

"Aw, gee, h-he sure is kinda heavy," Butters commented, hooking his hands under the stranger's knees. He took a step forward, but stopped when he felt a strong force going through him. Clenching his eyes shut and falling onto his knees, he felt a wave of emotions flowing around him.

Anger, sadness, pain, hopelessness, revenge, and the strong will to fight. This was what he felt, but these weren't his own feelings, but those of the stranger on his back. He could see into the man's heart, his emotions overwhelming him, suffocating him. Never had he experienced such a strong force before. But underneath all the emotions he felt in this man's heart, Butters could feel he was a good man with an unshakable resolve.

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Butters? Are you okay? Did you feel something?" Ali asked, concerned.

Butters turned to the girl. "Y-Yeah. I sure felt something, a-all right. Aw gee, I thought the barriers I put up were affective. But then again, I haven't felt such strong feelings before."

"What did you feel?"

"Why, a-a lot of things, but I can tell he's a nice fella."

"Do you need some help?"

He shook his head. "No. Why I-I'll just make my barriers stronger." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, mentally placing stronger barriers to block out the feelings from the foreigner's heart. When the sea of feelings minimized, Butters gripped onto the foreigner and lifted him up. He sent a nod to Ali to signal that he was ready before the two began their walk back to their camp.

* * *

It didn't take long before they arrived at their destination, which was a camp in a part of the forest. They walked to the camp's heart, they passed people dueling with wooden swords while others created weapons such as swords, spears, bows, and arrows. Men sat outside their tents, bandages wrapped around their wounds. A group of people danced around the fire and musicians played their melodies with their instruments. Both Ali and Butters went into one of the larger tents.

A woman with long, curly blond hair knelt in front of a brunette-haired man, wrapping bandages around his arm. Behind her stood a blond-haired man wearing a torn hat. He held a box of remedies, his back slightly hunched and a figure of debility.

There you go, Clyde," the woman said, smiling warmly at the man as she finished wrapping his arm with the bandages.

"Thanks, Bebe," said Clyde, returning the smile. He stood up, dusted himself off, and headed to the exit, bowing before Ali as he passed by her.

Bebe placed the bottle back into the box the man carried and turned her attention to Ali while Butters went to the makeshift bed with Ali following suit. "What's going on?" Bebe inquired.

"This man needs treatment, Bebe," Ali said. "I found him by the river." She glanced down at the stranger. "He was shot by a poisoned arrow."

"Oh dear, that is awful," said the man standing behind Bebe.

The blond-haired woman inspected the pale stranger, sweat and blood on his face, and his breathing ragged. "I may still have an antidote to fight off the poison. Pip, can you retrieve an antidote?"

"Right-o." He searched in the box, examining each bottle. Finding nothing, Pip set the box down on the table and grabbed the chest beneath. Upon opening it, he was greeted with a variety of bottled remedies. He grabbed a vial holding a green liquid, closed, the chest, and handed it to Bebe.

Bebe set the container to her side and carefully removed the outsider's tunic, revealing tinge of purple on his right shoulder, arm, and a part of his chest. She noticed a deep wound on his side. It looked like it was treated, but the wound had opened again. She would have to treat that as well. There was something that caught her attention. On his right shoulder, there were strange markings. For reasons unknown, it made her feel uneasy.

Ali noticed how uncomfortable Bebe was. "Is something the matter?" she asked, concerned.

This broke Bebe from her reverie. "Yes, I-I'm fine," she said. She was still a bit shaken up, but still continued with her work. She took the antidote and poured it onto the stranger's wound where she received a pained groan from him.

"How is he?" Ali asked.

"He'll be fine. The poison has not done any severe damage yet. He would have died by the end of the day if not treated."

Another man entered the tent. He was a tall man, with ruffled black hair, his bangs falling over apathetic brown eyes. His gaze came onto Ali and approached her. "Ali, we are waiting for you," he said as he bowed before her. "We need to discuss a plan if we are to intercept Trent's forces.

"I'll be out in a bit, Craig." Bowing once more, he turned and exited the tent. "Bebe, Pip, keep watch of the outsider."

"Yes, Ali," Bebe said with a nod.

Ali left the tent, followed by Butters, and joined with Craig. She turned to Butters. "Thank you for your help. You may return to your post now."

"Oh, o-okay. Y-Yes ma'am." With that, he left.

Craig led Ali to another tent, larger than the others scattered throughout the camp. They entered, and three people gathered around a table—two men and one woman. As they approached them, one of them glanced up. He had unkempt brown hair and hard eyes stared straight at Ali. The other two looked up as well. "I'm sorry for making you wait," Ali announced. "So what's the plan?"

His eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry. Kenny blinked a few times, taking in the unfamiliar territory. I'm still alive, he thought. He was sure that he would meet his death after his encounter with Scott. Today was not his fate to die, and for that he was thankful. There's still a lot he had to do. He looked around and his gaze came onto a woman's chest. His eyes widened. Maybe fate finally treated him kindly for once. If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up yet. He stared at her breasts with half-closed eyes, infatuated with their presence, yet slightly irritated as her clothing prevented him from seeing them completely. As he was about to reach for them, the woman moved away and stared down at him.

"Oh, you're awake," the woman said, grinning down at him.

Kenny gazed at her, his mind now clear. "W-Where am I?" he asked, voice hoarse.

"You're in a camp located in the outskirts of the Pastiar Forest. Don't worry, you're in good hands now. I'm Bebe and this is Pip, she said, motioning to the small man behind her. She turned back to him. "And you are...?"

"Kenny," he said in a weak voice. Slowly, he began to pull himself into a sitting position, but they urged him back down on the bed.

"Don't get up. What you need is rest, especially with the antidote still taking effect."

"Antidote?"

"Yes, from the poison arrow. Ali and Butters brought you here and told me everything."

"Who?" he asked, confused.

"Oh, Butters is a member of the rebels and Ali is one the leaders here," Pip explained. "They are currently having a meeting as we speak. Once you have regained your strength, you may speak with them if you wish. Rest right now." Kenny nodded and exhaled. He groaned and placed a hand on his bandaged head to calm the ache.

"We'll have food brought to you later," said Bebe with a soft voice. Kenny nodded, but immediately regretted the action as he felt a more intense ache in his head. Gradually, the pain in his head lessened. It wasn't long before he succumbed back to the land of unconsciousness.

* * *

_The heavens were crying, its tears filled the land. Drums of thunder echoed in the sky and lightning flashed for an instant. For that split moment, a small figure sat against the wall at the end of an alley. His porcelain skin was covered with cuts and bruises, his blond hair matted against his neck and forehead, his azure eyes staring at his feet, but not paying attention to them. _

_With the back of his hand, he wiped the blood from his nose and lips. He winced when he grabbed his side, where he had been kicked multiple times. His body hurt all over and at the same time, he was hungry. He had stolen a loaf of bread from a group of noble children and this was the price he paid for his actions. A figure approached him and he looked up to see who it was. _

"_Hey, are you okay?" the boy asked him. He was close to his age, with hair the color of a raven's feathers, and blue eyes a greater shade than his own. Studying the boy, he noticed he was wearing clothes, more beautiful compared to his. The fabric was made of silk with gold embroideries that decorated the hem and sleeves. His trousers were an ivory color, the ends tucked in shin-high black boots. In one hand, he held an umbrella to shelter himself from the rain while he offered his other hand. "Here, let me help you." _

_He glared at the boy and slapped his hand away. "I don't need your pity, especially from you rich folk," he snapped, turning his gaze away from him. The other looked hurt at his words, but ignored it. _

_He pushed against the wall to use as leverage and bring himself to a standing position. He cried out as pain coursed through his body once more. He fell back, landing on his bottom. _

"_You're hurt. You need help." The boy offered his hand once more. _

"_Why are you willing to help a stray dog like me?" he asked,looking at the other skeptically. _

"_I can't just leave an injured person out in the rain like this. I'd feel guilty if I didn't do anything." _

"_Huh, you're not like those other rich kids."_

"_Hell, I hate those other kids. They're all such arrogant bastards."_

"_You know what? I like you. The name's Kenny," he said, taking the boy's hand. _

_The boy smiled. "I'm Stan."_

* * *

Kenny stirred. He looked through half-closed eyes and pressed a hand on his head. Bebe and Pip were not present at the moment. It was dark, the only light coming from the the lit oil lamp on a table. Next to the lamp lay Kenny's tunic, a platter of food, and an old mug. He sat up with a groan and ran a hand through his messy hair, thinking about the dream he just had. "Eleven years since that day," he whispered to himself.

His stomach growled, and Kenny pushed the thoughts of his childhood in the back of his mind. Standing on shaky legs, he wobbled to the table. With hands gripping the sides of the table, he steadied himself from falling. It took several seconds before he regained his composure. On the platter was a loaf of bread, an apple, and two pieces of white meat. He grabbed the tray and mug, and took it back to the bed. He downed his food, his stomach feeling satisfied to have been filled. It had been almost a day or two since he last ate after all. Once through, he placed his plate and mug back onto the table. Grabbing his tunic, he held it in front of him. He searched through his tunic, looking for Cerus' journal.

Nothing.

He glanced down at the stool and found nothing. He began to panic. Where was the journal? He searched around the table and beneath it. He looked under the makeshift bed as well. Still, he turned up empty handed. "Shit, where the hell is it?"

* * *

Ali sat on the ground, her back pressed against the log. "Alex," she whispered to herself. She clenched her fist. "I'll find you and put an end to Trent." The sounds of shuffling behind her pulled her from her thoughts and readied her elbow blades. It was late in the night and everyone was asleep but her. She turned to the source, eyes falling on the blond foreigner, who was just coming out of the tent.

Kenny froze in place, watching the woman. He wasn't sure what to do and didn't want to do anything to provoke her. He watched as she loosened her grip from her weapons and turned back to the campfire. Slowly, Kenny walked to the campfire and sat on a log across from her. An awkward silence passed as they both watched the lively pyre.

Finally, Ali made an attempt to lift the tension created between herself and the stranger. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Kenny tore his gaze from the fire and looked up at her. He cleared his throat. "I'm feeling better," he replied, shifting his position.

"That's good to hear. What's your name?"

"Kenny, and you are..."

"Ali."

"So you're Ali. Bebe told me that you and another person brought me here. Thank you."

"It was nothing." She sighed, relaxing as the uneasiness diminished. She scooted over in order to get a better view of Kenny so she could look at him and not at flames when they're talking. "So where are you from?" she asked.

Kenny stared ahead. Biting his bottom lip, he thought to himself. Ali's lips parted, about to say something and change the subject when Kenny started. "I was originally from Senella, but the city was destroyed a long time ago by Scott and his gang. I was a child when this happened."

"What about your family? What happened to them?"

He clenched his fist. "I...I was an orphan. I don't know who my father was and my mother..." he trailed off, averting his gaze to anything other than Ali.

She sensed his discomfort. "It's okay. You don't have to continue."

Kenny nodded, grateful she didn't push him. "Besides, the only ones I would call family would be my best friend, Stan, and my tutor Cerus."

Ali looked surprised. "You were an apprentice of Cerus?"

"Yeah, I was."

"That must be quite an experience, being an apprentice for a great wizard."

"Yeah. Cerus...he took care of us. He was the first person I can remember caring for me, besides Stan. He was the only father figure in my life. Trent was also an apprentice when we first came to the castle and we looked up to him as a wizard and an older brother. But...one day, Cerus found out that Trent wanted to take over Lasai and get rid of the king. And for this, Trent was exiled." Kenny looked down as he played with a branch. "Stan and I felt betrayed, he lost our respect. And now..." His expression changed, from anger to depression. He looked over at Ali, with a look of apology. "I'm sorry, but I can't continue."

Ali consented. "I understand."

"Thanks." Silence fell upon them again. Kenny played with the branch, making random patterns. "Say Ali, when you and your friend brought me here, did I by any chance, have a journal with me?"

Ali furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "I don't believe so."

Kenny cursed under his breath. "Shit. It probably fell out of my tunic."

"Why do you ask?"

"It's...it's a journal Cerus gave to me. He said that there's something in the journal that I need to know, but I still don't understand what he meant."

"Try asking Bebe and Pip about it since they're the ones who treated you, and if I do come across something, I'll let you know."

"Thanks." Kenny looked around the camp and listened to the crickets with their night songs. "So...tell me more about this legion. Bebe told me a little about it."

"Well, we're a group of rebels made to put an end to Trent. Our last battle was in Ruki and we managed to fight his men off. Unfortunately, we took heavy damage and we lost a lot of troops. A lot of us are still recovering from that last battle and the legion is wearing thin. We need more people who are willing to fight."

Kenny snapped the branch in half. "Damn it! How far must he go!" His voice increased in volume. "Just how many lives does he have to destroy?"

Ali looked away, not sure what to say. When she turned back to him, she still wasn't sure what to do or say. "That's why we're here. Even though we don't know what Trent's plans are, we will do everything in our power to stop him."

"Have you _seen_ his power?"

"Yes. We have seen what Trent is capable of. He is a powerful force, but if no one is going to be there to stop him, then who will?"

She's right, he thought. If no one stands up to Trent, then there would be nothing left. Everyone would be forced to bow down to Trent as he takes over Zira. I would never serve that son of a bitch, he thought. His train of thought was interrupted as Ali stood and stretched. She glanced up at the sky, decorated with luminous starts and listened to the crickets' chirp.

"I don't know what your plans are, but I suggest getting yourself some sleep. I'm going to get some rest, for there's a lot that needs to be done before we depart from here. Good night."

Just as she walked to her tent, Kenny called out to her. "Ali..." The woman stopped and turned to him. "I want to join the legion and help you stop Trent."

"Are you sure about this? There will be many dangers ahead."

"I know. Trent captured my friend. I made a promise to him."

"This is not a game, Kenny."

"I know that, I'm being serious. I want to rescue Stan, and avenge Cerus for his death. He fought Trent to protect us, and for that, he died by his blade. And Stan stayed behind so that I could escape. They believe in me, I can't let their efforts go in vain. And like you said, your army is getting thin. I'm willing to fight, I'm prepared to face whatever challenges that lie ahead."

"Alright. You may join us."

"Thank you."

"It's late now. Rest for the night, soldier. I don't want you oversleeping and slacking off or I'll come kick your ass." She grinned, soft and teasing. "Meet me in the morning and I will give you some equipment. Good night." With that said, she disappeared into her tent.

Kenny sighed and glanced around the bivouac. The once lively campfire gradually diminished. He started walking back to the tent where he slept. Before entering, he gazed up at the heavens. No matter what happens, no matter how long it took, he was going to fight.


	5. IV: Shadow Guardians

**Chapter IV: Shadow Guardians**

Stan gazed up at the sky, which was shaded by ominous gray clouds. Crows cawed and circled the fortress. Below, the molten, bubbly lava surrounded the fortress, glowing a bright yellow-orange. The colossal legion crossed the cobblestone bridge, and the wagon jerked and rattled as it traveled. Along both sides of the bridge were posts, and at the top of each of them were human skulls.

The gigantic gates of the curtain wall opened slowly, allowing passage for the army. Stan took in his surroundings. Men were scattered throughout the camp, some tending their horses, and others gathered together as they speculated a game between two men. He looked up at the fortress when something caught his attention. A figure stood next to a gargoyle. It was a young man. By the looks of it, the man was around his age. The bone-chilling wind blew through his red curls as emerald depths glanced down at the unsuspecting soldiers.

Who was that, Stan wondered. Was he an ally of Trent? Stan wasn't sure which side this person was on. But his speculations were interrupted as Alex passed by his field of vision. "Lord Trent wishes to have the prisoners brought to him," he ordered nonchalantly.

"Yes, captain!" Scott saluted. He unlocked the door, roughly grabbed Stan's arm, and yanked him out of the carriage.

Stan gritted his teeth, concerned that his bones may snap in two due to Scott's deathly grip. Alex grabbed his other arm, and it wasn't treated any nicer. The lieutenant gestured to the few soldiers to bring the other hostages out as well. As the members of the legion seized the other hostages, Scott and Alex dragged Stan up the steps to the fortress' entrance.

The interior was dimly lit. Candles lined along the walls, providing little light to the castle. Claw scratches tore the portraits and the walls, and some statues were wrecked. Dust covered the tables, and cobwebs decorated their corners.

Stan stared at a portrait of a woman dressed in a dark violet gown, a gold crown upon her head. Long brown curls reached the middle of her back. Both of her arms were crossed over her chest, and her hands—with long claw-like nails—were spread next to her head. Stan felt a chill. It was as if her emotionless eyes watched him as he passed.

Alex and Scott dragged Stan down the hallway until reaching the grand hall. Webs decorated the dim lamps, next to the staircase. "Come on!" Scott barked and pulled Stan up the stairs. They stopped before a pair of large doors. Gold decorated the doors, but they have become old and tarnished. The doors creaked, echoing loudly as they opened to the throne room.

"Keep moving!" Scott bellowed as he and Alex pushed Stan into the gigantic room.

He stumbled on his feet from the sudden push. The three men approached Trent, who sat on his throne, eyes watching as Stan was brought before him, along with the other prisoners.

"On your knees!" ordered Scott, kicking the back of Stan's knee. With a pained grunt, Stan dropped to his knees. The other prisoners knelt beside him, the rattling of chains heard as dread ran through their bodies. The soldiers bowed and stood to the side of the throne room.

Trent stood and walked down the steps. He inspected the prisoners, a smirk pulling his lips, mildly satisfied seeing the fear on the prisoners' faces. All feared him but one. Stan. He approached the young apprentice, who glared back at him with sapphire eyes. But this didn't faze Trent one bit. In fact, this amused him. "Stan, what a pleasant surprise." He looked at all the other prisoners before turning his attention back to him. "Where's Kenny?" Stan said nothing and continued to glare at him. "What's wrong?" Trent pressed. "Refuse to talk?" Fisting his hair, he lifted his head up, causing the other to cringe under the painful hold. Trent smirked and released Stan's hair. "I wonder...perhaps you're the perfect candidate."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Stan asked.

"Look who finally decided to speak."

"What the hell do you mean by 'perfect candidate?'"

"Stan, I've seen how you've handled magic. You're better at controlling it than that weakling Kenny. My plot is to have control over Zira, but this body is weakening and it is dragging me down. At this rate, I can't fulfill my plans. I've searched for someone I could switch places with, but I couldn't. Really, I should have just come and got you earlier."

"As if I'd let you do that!" Stan yelled, venom etching his voice.

"I beg to differ." With lightning speed, he snatched Stan's tunic and forced him onto his feet. He lifted him up until the other's feet no longer touch the ground. Closing his eyes, he began reciting a spell:

_The sun which rises from the east_

_Now rises from the west_

A gust of wind started to encircle them as Trent continued with his spell, his messy blond hair swaying with the breeze. He ignored Stan, struggling to pry his fingers from digging against his throat.

_The upright world_

_Now becomes an opposite dimension_

Trent finished the spell and an invisible force sent both men in opposite directions. Stan moaned and his fingers twitched. His eyes snapped open, revealing aqua eyes instead of bright blue ones. With a smirk, he got onto his knees and broke himself free from the shackles around his wrists. He chuckled evilly as he looked down at himself.

"Lord Trent?" Alex asked, hand on his sword. He and Scott were not sure whether the spell had been a success. If it hadn't, he was prepared to fight.

"I've done it. The switch was successful," replied Trent, who now occupied Stan's body. "I could feel the strength of this body." He heard a groan and he looked to where Stan was, who was now in Trent's body. "Alex, Scott. Take Stan and the rest of the prisoners to the dungeon. Make sure to use the manacles made of Vizalin Stone for Stan. I don't want him using his magic to escape."

"Yes, sir!" Alex and Scott saluted.

Alex turned to the other soldiers. The soldiers saluted and took the other prisoners out of the throne room. Alex and Scott got a hold of Stan and followed the others. As they filed out, another soldier ran into the throne room and stopped them. "Captain, lieutenant!" the man said, panting heavily.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"A prisoner has escaped."

"Impossible! Who was it?" Scott demanded.

"The elf, sir!"

"What!"

"Go find him and bring him back here alive," Alex ordered calmly. "Lord Trent needs him for his plan. Now send troops after him." The man bowed and ran down the corridors.

* * *

He stood on the ledge, studying the guards around the fortress. A cool wind blew through his red curls, and his pointed ears twitched as he listened for anything suspicious. He crouched down next to the gargoyles and searched around the camp. He looked to the main gate, where he found four guards on their posts. "Damn it," he whispered to himself. He ran off to the side, behind another statue. "My magic is weak right now from the manacles that held me prisoner. I felt them drain my power. So I cannot fight full force."

Hanging from his neck was an amulet. It had a circular shape to it with a topaz stone in its center. Two griffins, their tails entwined, were engraved in the amulet as well, one on each side of the stone. Above them was a crown. The stone flickered, and emerging from it were seven tiny spirits. One of the spirits, a small blue dragon, landed on his shoulder. "What are your plans, Kyle?" it asked.

"Right now, finding a way out of here," Kyle replied, studying the area.

"Let us help you. I would like to kick some ass," the dragon growled.

"I can't right now, Yaxha. Because of the manacles that drained my energy and magic, I've weakened. You guys are my strongest magic, and if I use your elemental powers now, it would take me longer for me to have my magic recover."

"What are you going to do then?" a fairy in a silver gown asked.

"I may use my basic spells that don't take much. I think that's all I can do right now. You guys may leave now. If I need any help, I'll call out." The seven spirits in front of him diminished one by one.

Kyle rested his head against the statue. Well, here goes, he thought. He reached into the pouch attached to his hip and pulled out a handful of black powder. With it, he created a circle around him. He knelt down on one knee, pressed his hands together in prayer, and began reciting:

_Guardians of the night_

_Allow the shadows to cloak me_

_May no eye notice me_

_As the light shines down_

He finished the incantation and pressed his hands to the ground beside him. The powder lit up and a dim violet light surrounded him. As soon as it appeared, the light died down, and the scattered powder vanished. Kyle peeked from behind the statue. The guards remained at their posts. Looks like everything was still normal. So far, so good.

Kyle jumped down from the ledge and landed onto the balcony with grace. As quiet as he could, he opened the glass doors to the room. Scrolls scattered on the floor, and books laid untouched for years on uncleaned tables. Graceful as a tikling bird, he stepped over the mess and slipped out the room without a sound. The red-haired youth looked both ways of the hall, in search of guards. Nothing. With one final look around, Kyle ran out, down the narrow corridor. But, he stopped abruptly when he reached the hallway's end. There, gathered together were a group of soldiers, about six of them.

"Any sign of the elf?" one of the men asked.

"No, there's no sign of him anywhere."

"Keep searching for him. We'll keep a lookout here," another said.

Three of them nodded and ran down the hall, in Kyle's direction. The elf pressed his back to the wall. Though he could not be seen, they could still bump into him. The three soldiers ran by Kyle, never noticing that their target was much closer than they thought. He glanced to his right, the three remaining soldiers going down a hall in the opposite direction. Good, the coast was clear. He looked behind for anymore guards before running down to the main entrance.

Outside, Kyle looked around. To his left, Scott stood by a group of men, shouting orders to them. He growled and narrowed his eyes. He tore his gaze away from the lieutenant and turned his gaze to the other direction, to the stables where the horses were kept. Whilst making his way to the stables, a soldier carrying a bucket of water tripped.

Unfortunately, the water spilled all over Kyle. This caused the spell he cast upon himself to break. He wiped the water that got onto his eyes and looked up to bewildered soldiers. "Shit," Kyle cursed under his breath.

"It's the elf, get him!" ordered Scott.

"So much for escaping undetected," Kyle grumbled. His gaze fell to the puddles of water made from when the water splashed him. He could not help but smirk at this. With his eyes cast to the earth, Kyle extended his right arm to the side, above the puddles.

"I call on the water spirit, Yaxha. Lend me your strength!" His arm traveled with circular movements above the puddles. This in turn, brought a blue light from the puddles. Shortly after, he slammed the palm of his hand to the ground, sending the water up. This was also accompanied with a beast's loud roar.

The small dragon emerged from the puddle before his feet. It floated in the air, its wings embracing its figure like a cocoon. Upon opening crystalline eyes, the proud beast spread its wings and sat on Kyle's shoulder. It roared and waited for Kyle's orders.

"So you called for one of us after all," said Yaxha, grinning.

"Sorry for bringing you out." Kyle knew of his current situation. He even told the spirits that using their powers would just weaken him more. But, what choice did he have now that he had been discovered? There were just too many men to fight, and simpler magic just would not be enough to fight them all off. "Let's go, Yaxha!"

"Right!" The dragon followed with a roar.

Kyle stood with confidence and raised his right hand, palm open to his enemies. Positioning himself in front of Kyle's palm, Yaxha growled. "Are you ready?" Kyle asked.

Yaxha chuckled. "Do you need to ask?" Azure light surrounded the water spirit and charged at the soldiers. In a quick blur, the men's arms and legs were encased in rock-hard ice. The legion struggled to pull themselves free from their ice imprisonment while Kyle took this opportunity to grab the hand ax hanging on a rack and make his way to the stables.

With great ease, he jumped onto a horse's back. After a kick to its side, the horse dashed out the stables, towards the gate. Taking the ax he found, Kyle threw it at the chains, which were encased in ice. This caused the gate to fall and resound in a loud bang once connecting with the bridge. "Come on, Yaxha!" he yelled. The dragon flew beside him as they went down the road, away from the fortress and toward freedom. They continued down the narrow road, unaware of the figure watching from the mountaintop with a smirk.


	6. V: Worry

**Chapter V: Worry**

"_Hey, are you okay?"_

"_Do you think he's dead?"_

"_Mercedes, what are you doing?"_

"_I'm checking to see if he's still alive."_

"_Be careful."_

_Voices. That's what he heard. They sounded like girls, but their voices sounded distant to him. Who did these voices belong to? Did he know them?_

"_Oh, it looks like he's waking up."_

_At last, emerald pools revealed themselves. Before him, he saw five pairs of furry legs surrounding him. Looking up, he found five young girls looking down at him curiously. Slowly, with a groan, he pushed himself into a sitting position. He took the time to examine the girls around him. Their upper torso was that of a person, but their legs were like a doe's. What kind of creatures are these, he wondered._

_He looked around the environment; tall trees that reached for the heavens cluttered together, with clear blue skies without a single cloud in sight. He looked down to find himself sitting on beautiful white sand and behind him was the tranquil sea, the waves rolling in and out in a steady rhythm._

"_Are you okay?" one of the strangers asked._

"_Where...where am I?" he inquired._

_One of the girls, who had shoulder-length black hair spoke up. "You're on the coast of Talizaiya," she said. "I'm Esther."_

"_I'm Shauna," said a girl with copper-colored hair, which were tied with two purple bows._

"_Hello! I'm Mercedes," a girl with long blond and wavy hair said with a large grin._

"_Sally," said a red-haired girl waving nervously._

_The last girl smiled. She had long brunette hair. "And I'm Lola. What's your name?"_

_He looked down, thinking. Who __**was**__ he? Why couldn't he remember who he was? Digging in the depths of his mind, he still found nothing. Looking up defeated, he mumbled his reply. "I...I don't know."_

"_You don't know your name?" Sally asked, raising an eyebrow._

_He shook his head. "No."_

"_Perhaps you hit your head, you poor thing," said Mercedes, kneeling down to his level. "Well, how about we call you something else until then? Just until you remember. What do say?"_

"_Uh..."_

"_Don't pressure him, Mercedes," Shauna interrupted. "I'm sure he'll remember once he's well rested."_

"_Aw, I guess," Mercedes said, standing up._

"_By the way, what are you guys?" he asked, finally deciding it was appropriate to know what these strange creatures were. "Are you some sort of goat or something?"_

"_We're fauns!" she exclaimed, going on the defensive and placing her hands on her hips._

"_Oh...sorry." He looked down, feeling bad for offending them._

_But they thought nothing of it and smiled. Lola offered her hand. "Come on, we'll take you back to the village, where you can meet everyone else."_

* * *

Kyle awoke from his slumber, the horse licking his cheeks. Groaning, he pushed the large animal away from him and looked around. Instead of white sands and tall trees, he found himself surrounded by large rocks of a mountain, dark gray skies, and the lone tree he laid beneath. It was a dream.

With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. "I still haven't remembered anything about myself," he whispered under his breath. "Except for my name." How long has it been since he met them, he wondered. He chuckled lightly and answered himself. "Almost eight years." He exhaled and stared up at the sky.

A sudden yelp escaped from his lips as something pulled on his hair. "Ow! Stop it!" he exclaimed, waving his hand to swat at the cause.

In a green and brown, glowing gown was a fairy, her hands on her hips. She had long gold hair pulled up into a ponytail, her bangs hugging around her thin face. Her wings matched with her hair, though a lighter shade of yellow mixed with a tinge of white. "Hey! What the hell are you doing moping around?"

"Merina..." Kyle started, but was interrupted with a kick to the head. "Ow! What the hell is your problem?"

"Merina, stop giving him a hard time," another interjected. Coming beside her was a tiny four-winged angel. "I'm sure he has a lot on his mind."

"Ooh, I'm sorry Kiara, but I just don't like it when he mopes like this." The fairy rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, her gaze cast downward.

"What's on your mind, Kyle?" the angel asked, coming face to face with Kyle.

"It's nothing," Kyle muttered, turning his gaze away from the tiny angel.

"Don't lie to us. You know you can't hide anything from us. We are a part of you. Now come on, tell us what's going on." Kyle said nothing, so she started. "Does this have anything to do with the girls?"

"It...It's just that...I don't know. I should have been able to protect them from Trent's forces. I have no idea what happened to them."

"It wasn't your fault, Kyle. You did all you could."

"But…"

Kiara approached him, using her tiny hands to lift his chin up so he could look at her. "Kyle, I know it's difficult right now, but we'll find them."

"I was hoping they would be back at the fortress and we could all escape together, but..."

"Listen, you must not allow this to drag you down. I'm sure the girls are fine."

"How do you know that?"

"They're stronger than you think. They can't be taken down that easily, despite what they look like. They'll be fine."

"O-Okay." He looked down and sighed. "I guess now I have to focus on other things, don't I?"

"Yeah!" said Merina, throwing her fist up. She settled down when something struck her. "But what about Trent?"

"Yeah, what does he want with me anyway?" He looked up at the two spirits, hoping to get an answer from either of them. But, there was nothing. "Well, anyway, I can't fight him now. I have not made a full recovery yet. I'll have to get some things I might need for later." He pushed himself to a standing position. "Come on, you guys, let's go."

Kiara disappeared but Merina remained. "Kyle, cheer up, okay? If you don't, I'll kick your ass, got that?"

A small grin tugged at his lips. "Okay." Smiling back, Merina tapped his nose and vanished. He held onto his amulet. "Thanks, you guys." Kyle's head snapped up as he heard the yells coming from afar. From a distance, Kyle spotted five goblins coming down the mountain, jumping from ledge to ledge as if it was nothing. They were heading his direction. "I have to get out of here." Grabbing his belongings, he jumped onto his horse just as he heard a yell.

"It's the elf!" a goblin yelled, jumping up and down as it pointed a bony finger in Kyle's direction. "Get him!"

"Shit. Time to get out of here." He kicked the horse's side, and it dashed down the rocky path. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the goblins moving faster down the mountain, yelling as they waved their weapons. Just a bit faster and he could lose the goblins.

Suddenly, two goblins appeared before them, weapons ready. The horse made an abrupt stop and panicked. Three goblins appeared behind them. "There's no escaping, elf!" a goblin said, pulling his rusted and jagged dagger. "Now, off the horse and come with us."

"What if I refuse?" Kyle asked, defiantly.

"Then we will take you by force!"

Kyle clutched his amulet. He was still in the process of recovering, but now that he rested—even for a little bit—he was able to recover some of it. He didn't have any weapons on him and was low on the supplies for more basic spells so he had no other choice. With open hands, he brought them up, palms facing the sky. "Darahi, spirit of fire, come forth!" Flames appeared in the palm of his hands and shot out to the sky. Shortly after, a screeching was heard. The clouds parted, making way for a large firebird, feathers like flames, long tail feathers trailing behind it. Eyes like rubies fell upon its master, its golden beak parting for another screech. Kyle directed the firebird with a wave of his hand. The fiery bird flew by the goblins behind Kyle—creating a wall of flames in front of them. Turning, it charged at the goblins in front of Kyle. The goblins dived away from the bird's path and Kyle took this opportunity to ride down the path Darahi left behind.

* * *

The sun made its gradual ascent from the east to begin a new day. Dewdrops upon leaves glimmered in the sun's glow. All was silent in the camp, showered in the sun's radiant light. It remained this way for some time before a figure emerged from a tent. It was Ali.

She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. Then, she heard footsteps. "You're up early." A man with unkempt brunette hair approached her. He had a built body; broad shoulders and strong arms, muscular chest, and abdomen.

Ali managed a small smile. "You're one to talk, Christophe," she replied, groggily. "But then again, you're usually the first one up."

Christophe chuckled. "Wanna sit down?"

"Sure." The two walked to the camp's heart. The campfire had diminished long before, and left behind the woods' ashes. They sat on a log nearby, not a word exchanged between them. But it wasn't an awkward silence. They were content with each other's company.

Eventually, Christophe broke the silence. "'ow long has it been, Ali?"

"Since what?"

"Since we have been fighting zis war? Three years, non?"

Ali nodded. "That seems about right."

"It has also been a year and a half since Alex was taken."

"…Yes. Christophe, do you think he is…?"

"No. I'm sure we'll find 'im."

"How can you be so sure? It's been so long."

Christophe turned his body to Ali. "Don' give up yet. Until I see it for meself, I will not accept zat he has passed on to ze Spirit Realm."

"I hope you're right."

Christophe placed a strong, firm hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. He gave her a reassuring smile and brushed her bangs away from her eyes. The moment was interrupted as a scream came from one of the tents. Both Christophe and Ali jumped back as if they were to be bitten by a wild animal and turned to the source. "Sounded like it came from ze new guy's tent."

The scream caused other rebels to awaken, poking their heads just outside their tents to see what was happening. "What's going on?" one of them asked.

A yell resounded, but it sounded like it was coming from someone else. Ali and Christophe jumped from their spot and ran to the tent the screams were coming from. "Kenny, what's wrong?" Ali asked. Upon their entrance, they were surprised by what they saw. Kenny thrashed on the makeshift bed, screaming in agony. Clasping in his hand was Pip's wrist, who was struggling to break himself free.

"Ah! Kenneth, please let go," Pip whimpered, trying to tug himself away but to not avail.

Bebe and Butters appeared beside Ali and saw the commotion. Butters ran to Pip's aid. "H-Hey! You let go of him!" He grabbed a hold of Kenny's wrist in an attempt to pry Pip away when a strong force surged through him. It was not like before, but it was with a stronger and darker energy. Unlike the first time, he was not able to feel the good in Kenny's heart, or the strong resolve that awed him, but the lust of blood being spilled and ensure fear among others. This terrified him and he wanted nothing more than for it to stop. With a yell, Butters released Kenny's wrist and fell in a shuddering heap, tears streaking his cheeks.

"Butters!" Pip yelled out, scared.

Seeing this, Ali, Christophe, and Bebe went to their aid. Bebe knelt down beside Butters in an attempt to calm him down while Christophe loosened Kenny's grip for Pip to slip away as Ali held his shoulders down.

"Kenny! Snap out of it!" Ali yelled, pushing him down onto the mattress. He arched his back as he screamed once more. His breathing was heavy, body covered in sweat, and his contorted with pain. Then, something caught her eye. The markings on Kenny's shoulder started to glow a bright orange, as if a wild fire was burning within his body, wanting to get out. Kenny screamed one final time and slumped back down onto the bed. His eyes were wide and looked directly at Ali, but his normal cerulean eyes were nothing more than empty, gray shells. He continued to stare at her until his eyes fluttered closed and the glowing markings on his body flickered before finally dying out. She shot a hesitant look to her companions, who had the same look of uncertainty.

It was Christophe who spoke first. "What ze hell was zat all about?" he demanded.

"I…I'm not sure," Ali replied. She turned to Pip, whose shaking was apparent. He stood frozen in place, staring at Kenny's form. She took notice of the bruise around his wrist and she could not help but wince at the sight. It was a dark bruise, clashing with his pale skin. The black-haired woman turned to Butters, who had calmed down since the incident. He was still breathing heavily, and his figure shook in Bebe's embrace. "Butters, what did you feel just now?"

"W-Why y-yeah, I felt something, all right," Butters said, pulling himself away from Bebe to sit up.

"Did…you feel…the same thing as before?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.

"Aw, n-no. W-What I felt was c-completely different. Aw, gee, it-it was like he was a whole different p-person." He bit his lip and rubbed his knuckles together, a habit he picked up whenever he was feeling nervous. "I-I…I felt a dark energy, but right before I let go of him, I felt that Kenny was fighting it."

"Do you think he was possessed by something, Ali?" Christophe questioned.

"I was just thinking of that. But what do you suppose we do now?"

Christophe sighed, running his hand through messy locks. "I don' think it is wise to be around 'im now. We will 'ave to take 'im prisoner until zis is settled." He turned to Bebe and Pip. "You may treat his wounds, zen put ze shackles on 'im. We will take care of 'im after you are done."

"O-Okay," Bebe said with a nod, reluctant in caring for Kenny after the incident.

"All right. We will come back later to check on 'im. I will 'ave someone come and guard you in case something happens." Without another word, Christophe walked out of the tent. Ali sent sympathetic looks to the both of them and took Butters, escorting him out of the tent.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I have updated. I've been making a whole lot of changes to the story and I keep going back and revising it. Hopefully I won't have to make any other major changes. Hopefully I will get the other chapters up soon. Reviews appreciated! **


	7. VI: The Fire's Seal

**Chapter VI:** **The Fire's Seal**

Bebe and Pip quietly sat in the tent as the woman wrapped his wrist with bandages. Neither didn't know what to say, especially after the incident with Kenny earlier that morning. It was something foreign, and it scared them. They saw many things during their time with the rebels, but none of it amounted to what they saw earlier.

"There you go, Pip," said Bebe, tying the ends of the bandages together.

"Thank you," Pip replied, moving his wrist in slow circles.

"Now for Kenny." The two turned to the unconscious man on the makeshift bed. Silence fell between them as they stared at his figure, lost in their thoughts. This man did seem like a good person, but after what happened, they were not sure what to think.

Finally, Bebe decided to ask, "Pip, do you think we're doing the right thing by making him a prisoner?"

"I do not know. Kenny is a mystery, if I do say so myself. There are a lot of things we do not know about him. I don't want to think of him as a prisoner, but..." He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence as he stared down at his feet.

"Do you think it's as Christophe said? That he might be possessed by something?"

"Well, it isn't exactly our first time seeing someone possessed, but that was three years ago."

"I guess so. Well, I'd better patch up that wound again. Would you mind getting me a bucket of water from the river?"

"Right-o," said Pip standing up as well. He grabbed the empty bucket in the corner and left the tent towards the river.

It didn't take him long to reach the waters. He eased his way down a slope and made his way to the water. He knelt on the flat surface of a rock and started filling the bucket with water when something on the shore caught his eye, next to a bundle of rocks.

Curious, he stepped off the rock and walked to the object. It was a leather-bound book, soaked from the water. He grabbed the mysterious book and flipped through the pages. A lot of the writing was smeared, but there were some passages just barely readable. I wonder if it belongs to someone, he thought. With a shrug, he shoved the book in his tunic and resumed his duty in collecting the water.

* * *

The rebels continued with their journey, the day uneventful. Later that night, Ali and Christophe sat by the fire when all was quiet and the rebels were asleep. He rested his arm on his knee, the other next to Ali's, his fingertips close to touching hers. "We're about three days away from Sondosia. Once we get there, we can restock and perhaps recruit people."

Ali nodded. "Ah."

Christophe leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong? You seem distracted."

Her gaze left the campfire and onto her feet. "It's just that I'm a bit concerned about what happened this morning with Kenny."

With a low growl, Christophe looked away, obviously annoyed. Ever since the incident with the newcomer, she had been distracted throughout the day and her thoughts seemed to revolve around the man in question. He had to admit, he wanted to know what was going on with the stranger, but didn't spend the day dwelling on it like Ali did.

The rattling of chains pulled the two warriors from their thoughts and turned to the cage wagon where Kenny was. He had been unconscious throughout the day, not even stirring once, until now.

Kenny moaned. Why did his body feel heavy and in pain? It felt as if it was on fire, especially in his shoulders and back. What the hell happened? He sat up slowly and looked around, only to find himself in a cage wagon. What was this? How did he end up in here? Wasn't he with Ali and the rebels at their camp? Or had that been an illusion and was still in the custody of Trent's men?

"So you're awake." He turned to the source of the voice and found Ali, sitting next to a brunette-haired man.

"A-Ali? What the hell is going on? Why am I in here?" Kenny asked. Had this all been a trick? Was Ali really an ally or was she in allegiance with Trent? Either way, he needed answers.

"There is something we need to talk about. It's about this morning."

"This morning? Did something happen this morning?"

"Don' play innocent with us," said Christophe with a scowl.

"What? I really have no idea what you're talking about. Now tell me what the hell is going on!" His voice lowered. "Please."

"Well, it's just that this morning, you were screaming, like you were in pain, and then you passed out. But while this was happening, the markings on your shoulder were glowing, burning like a fire," Ali explained. She turned her gaze away. "We didn't know what to do or what to think."

"What? Really?"

Ali nodded. "You don't remember?"

"No, I don't." Kenny sat back, one of his shackled hands unconsciously going to shoulders where the markings would be.

"Zen there is also ze fact zat one of our rebels was injured and another was zo scared zat he broke down in tears," Christophe added, his voice harsh.

Kenny looked up, eyes wide. "Who did I hurt?"

"Butters and Pip."

This seemed to hit Kenny, then buried his face in his hands. "What the hell is going on? Why is this happening to me? What am I supposed to do?"

Ali's expression softened as she stood and made her way to the cage wagon, ignoring Christophe's eyes on her. She sat on a tree stump in front of the cage. "Kenny, maybe I can help. I can try and figure out what is happening to you."

"How?" He raised his head from his hands, with a look of loss, pain, and hopelessness.

"I used to be a fire priestess. I can try and look for the source and purify it, or if not, seal it."

"Do you think there's something in me?"

"I could only assume. I will have to look at the markings on your shoulder and see what it is I'm up against. Are you up for that?"

Kenny was silent, avoiding eye contact with the woman. "I've always wondered about these markings ever since I was a kid. I don't know what they are, what they mean—anything. I've been searching for answers and come up empty-handed. If you can tell me anything, that would be good." His expression changed. No longer was it of hopelessness and loss, but determination and fear. "I'll go through with it."

Ali nodded and pulled out keys to the cage. Upon inserting the key, Christophe came up to her, putting his large hand on her shoulder. "Ali, what ze hell are you thinking? You haven't done anything like zis in almost two years. You've been out of practice ever since—"

"I know, Christophe. But if I can help ease Kenny's pain, then I will do it. I can't just watch a man suffer like this."

"What about Wendy? She is currently in practice."

"Wendy is still young and inexperienced. She has much to learn." She placed a reassuring hand on Christophe's broad shoulder. "Don't worry, Christophe. If anything goes wrong, I know I can count on you."

Christophe sighed. Typical Ali, he thought. There was no arguing with her. Once she made up her mind, there was no way to convince her otherwise. "Okay, let's go into ze forest."

Ali mouthed a "thank you" and unlocked the cage. Eagerly, Kenny slipped out of the cage and the woman unlocked the shackles around his wrists. Ali motioned for him to follow Christophe, who hesitantly followed the other man through the forest, while she grabbed a torch and followed them.

They walked deeper into the forest and stopped on a small opening not too far from the camp. "This should do," said Ali, handing the torch to Christophe. She turned to Kenny, who still looked uneasy. She sent him a reassuring smile. "Sit down and remove your tunic, please."

Kenny nodded and did as he was told. He removed his belt and pulled his tunic over his head. He let his clothing fall in a heap and sat beside them. Ali knelt down behind him and examined the intricate markings on the right scapular area.

Christophe couldn't help but scowl as he watched Ali's fingers run along Kenny's back. It looked almost tender, intimate. With a grunt, he averted his gaze to anything else but the pair before him.

"This looks like a seal from what I can see."

"A seal?" Kenny repeated.

"Yes. Whoever placed this was someone powerful, and it seems they used strong magic to make sure something doesn't come to the surface," Ali informed.

"So this person knew there was something else."

"That's what it looks like. Do you think Cerus put this spell on you?"

"I've had these markings since I was a kid. This was years before I met Cerus."

"I see. But after this morning the seal has grown weaker and I can feel a large energy leaking through it. I don't have enough power to purify the source, but what I can do is strengthen the seal."

"Okay. Do what you need to do, as long as I don't hurt anyone again."

"All right, but I must warn you that this might hurt." Kenny nodded in understanding. Ali removed her hand from Kenny's back and sat on her knees. She closed her eyes and placed her hands in front of her chest vertically, her palms facing each other.

_Brightest flame_

_Lend me your strength _

_To shield those in need_

_Guide them through _

_Their darkest hour_

A tiny flame appeared in the small space between her hands. From it, thin streams of fire spiraled out from the flame's core, first encircling her hands then to the rest of her body. She opened her eyes, which were glowing a pale yellow-orange, and shifted her hands so that they were outstretched in front of her, palms facing Kenny's back. Streams from the torch Christophe was carrying traveled with the others, circling around Kenny and moved to the markings on his back, binding together with the intricate patterns of the seal while adding an extra barrier for it. Five fire emblems appeared and floated to the barrier. Four of them settled in the corners while the last was placed in the center.

As the fire emblems settled, Kenny winced from the heat, gritting his teeth as his muscles tightened and clenched his hands until his knuckles blanched. Suddenly, he didn't feel anything, and the streams of fire that traveled around him disappeared. He looked back just in time to see Ali's eyes close and slumped down. "Ali!" He made a move to help her, but Christophe had beat him to it and held her up.

"Ali, you okay?" he asked, watching her.

The yellow-orange hue in her depths returned to their normal color and looked up at him. "I'm all right, Christophe. I'm just a little tired now."

"You idiot. You're out of practice. Zat drained a lot of your energy."

Ali chuckled. "I've had worse." She felt other eyes on her and turned to a concerned Kenny.

"Ali, are you all right?" the blonde asked.

She smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?"

"It kinda stings, but I will get over it."

"That's good to hear. I can feel the dark energy has minimized. I think you will be fine, because it would take some really powerful magic to break that seal."

"Thanks, Ali." She responded with a nod.

There was a silence between them, Ali and Kenny staring back at each other. Christophe watched the two and had to refrain from scowling. He turned his head away and cleared his throat, grabbing both of their attention. "We better head back to ze camp and get some rest. We 'ave a long day ahead of us." Kenny nodded, grabbed his tunic, and pulled it on. Christophe turned to the petite figure resting in his arms. "Can you walk?"

"I think so." She was assisted to her feet, and shot a grateful smile in Christophe's direction. She attempted to take a step but lost her balance and fell back, landing into Christophe's strong figure. She looked up at him sheepishly. "I'm fine, Christophe. Really."

"I don' think zo. You keep stumbling around. 'ere, I will carry you back to ze camp." He swooped her off her feet and lifted the woman in his arms.

Out of impulse, Ali clutched onto his tunic. "Christophe, I'm not a child anymore," the woman protested.

"Shut up and just let me carry you back," said the man as he started walking back in the direction they came from, Kenny following close behind, torch in his hand.

Ali relaxed her grip on Christophe's tunic and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing contently. "Thank you."

Christophe scoffed. "I'm doin' you a favor. Geez, you really are a handful, Aliana."

Her eyes widened at the mention of her name. It had been years since he called her that, but she didn't mind at all. She nuzzled in the feel of his body to hers, warm and comforting against the chilly breeze blowing through the forest. The aftereffects of the spell she had cast was finally taking its toll on her as she slowly drifted to sleep.

The brunette noticed this and sighed. She really is a handful, he thought. But he could not help but feel warm inside. He smirked, masking in the moment as he trekked back toward the camp.

Upon their arrival, Christophe turned to Kenny. "We don' have a tent for you, but I will bring something to keep you warm for ze night. But for now, I must take Ali to her tent and let her rest."

Kenny nodded. "Will she be all right?"

"She will be fine. She's just tired, zat's all." Without saying anything more, he made his way to her tent. He slowly entered her tent, careful not to let the flaps hit her and walked to the makeshift bed laid out for her. Christophe carefully lowered Ali onto it, not wanting to wake her from her slumber, and covered her figure with a blanket. The brunette took a moment to watch the former priestess sleep. She looked so peaceful, like there was not a care in the world. If only she was still carefree like that, he thought with a sad smile.

Ali turned to her side, black bangs falling over her face. He bit his lip as he continued to watch, contemplating what he should do. Sheet, what ze hell is wrong with me, he thought, cursing to himself. With a shaky hand, Christophe brushed the bangs away from her face and slowly leaned in to place a kiss on her head. "Good night, kid."

* * *

**A/N: I was having such writer's block until I was listening to the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack and I instantly fell in love with the music. I finished this chapter by listening to Latika's theme, haha. Well anyway, chapter seven will be up. Thanks for the reviews! **


	8. VII: Scattered Pieces

_**Chapter VII: **__**Scattered Pieces**_

Kenny woke up early the next morning, feeling exhausted. His body was sore as a result from the previous night, when Ali placed a fire seal on the markings. He sat up and leaned against a log. He scanned his surroundings, finding some rebels walking about, preparing for the journey ahead. He thought nothing of it, and began to reflect back to what Ali had told him, about how the markings on his shoulder was a seal that someone placed on him, but that rose other questions. Who put that seal on him? What were they trying to seal? Was there something dwelling within him all this time and not know it? Was there something that wanted to get out desperately and that someone sealed it before it could surface?

But it was not until the morning before that stirred a reaction, but then he did not remember anything from the incident except for the pain when he woke up. On top of that, he had hurt Pip and Butters. He felt guilty for hurting them, since they helped him a lot since he was found by the river. What if he had other episodes of this happening and just did not remember? What if he had brought harm to others?

He let out a frustrated sigh. If only he had Cerus' journal. Maybe then he could piece the information together. Still, there were no signs of it anywhere. He finally had the opportunity to solve this mystery and he blew it by losing that journal. He bonked his head on the log, silently cursing himself of his mistakes.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked. Kenny looked up to find Ali, who looked just as exhausted. She gave a tired smile. "You're going to give yourself a concussion if you continue hitting your head on that log."

"Sorry," he mumbled. "How…how are you feeling? Are you feeling all right after last night?"

"I feel a bit tired still, but I will be fine. How about you?"

"Sore."

"That's to be expected, but you'll be fine." Kenny nodded in response. "Come with me, Kenny."

"Where are we going?" Kenny asked, dusting himself up as he got to his feet. He followed the woman to a tent where there were a variety of weapons, ranging from swords, spears, bows and arrows, and daggers. Kenny eyed them with interest and finally picked up a broad sword. He twirled the weapon with ease and held it before him.

"Looks like you have some experience with weapons after all."

"Yeah. I practiced with Stan and the guards back in Lasai."

"I see. I'd like to see what you can do."

"Is that a challenge?" Kenny asked with a smirk.

She returned the smirk. "Maybe it is."

"Then I accept your challenge."

Ali laughed. "It would have to wait for a while since we have to prepare for departure. Is there anything else you need?"

Kenny sheathed the sword back into its scabbard. "No. I'm good. Thanks, Ali." He attached his newly acquired weapon to his hip and went back in the direction he came from.

As he made his way back to the camp's heart, he found a large brunette man mistreating Pip. Being much taller than him, he easily held an object away from Pip's reach. Kenny noticed that it was a leather-bound book that looked very similar to the journal Cerus gave him. "Eric, could you please give it back?" asked Pip, jumping to snag the book from Eric.

"What's so damn important about this piece of crap?" taunted Eric, holding the other back. Effortlessly, he shoved Pip back and flipped through the pages. His face contorted in confusion when he noticed the smeared writing. "What the hell is this? You can't even read this shit so why the hell are you still hanging onto it? I might as well do you a favor and burn it."

Eric took the journal and raised his hand, ready to throw the leather-bound book into the fire when a sheathed sword knocked the book from Eric's grasp. "What the-?" The larger man turned to see Kenny, book in hand. "Who the fuck are you?" he demanded.

"You know, you should pick on someone your own size," said Kenny, assisting Pip onto his feet.

"And you should learn to keep your nose out of people's business, asshole!" Eric snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Kenny.

Christophe approached them. "Hey! What ze hell is goin' on here?"

Eric continued to glare at Kenny. "Nothing. Nothing at all," said Eric, turning on his heel and walking away.

Christophe turned to Kenny. "Zo, what ze hell was zat all about?"

"I saw him picking on Pip here so I butted in to stop that fat-ass," Kenny explained.

Christophe sighed. "Don' mind 'im, zat asshole picks on everyone. It's best to ignore 'im."

Kenny nodded. "Okay. But I don't see how he can get away with that."

"Like I said, just ignore 'im. Now, get your stuff together and prepare to depart in an hour."

The two blondes nodded and watched as Christophe left them alone. Kenny turned to Pip. "I think this is yours," he said, handing the leather-bound book to Pip. "But may I ask where you got this journal?"

"Actually, it's not mine, Kenneth. I found it by the river when I went to get water. It was lying on the shore when I found it. Do you know who it belongs to?"

"Well, I've been searching all over for a journal much like this and I've had no luck." Kenny opened the book. Though most of the writings was smeared and was difficult to read, he recognized the handwriting in some sections. There was no doubt in his mind that this was his tutor's journal. "This is it," said Kenny, feeling relieved.

"So it's yours? Well, I am glad that it is back where it belongs," Pip said, excited. He noticed Kenny's excitement fall. "What is the matter, Kenneth? Are you not glad that you got your journal back?"

"Well, yeah I am, but Cerus gave me this journal because he told me that there was information about me that I should know. But now most of the writing is unreadable, and I won't be able to take in that information."

"I am sorry to hear that, Kenneth. I am sure that you will figure it out."

"I guess so."

"Do not worry. I'm sure you will find the answers you are looking for. You just have to keep on looking."

Kenny managed a small smile. "Thanks, Pip. And um…I'm sorry about yesterday."

"What for?"

"Ali and Christophe told me what happened last night. They told me that I hurt you, and I wanted to apologize for it."

"Oh, don't worry about that, old chap. You were not yourself."

Kenny was taken aback. "Wait, what? How can you say that?"

"What ever do you mean?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"How can you forgive me so easily?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. But everything is fine now, isn't it? I heard Ali sealed it last night."

"Yeah, she did."

"Well, there you have it! Everything will be all right now."

"Er…I guess so…"

"Good! Well, I will leave you be. I have to assist Bebe in getting the rest of our belongings together. Good day." The smaller man ran off before Kenny could say anything else.

* * *

The sun showered the traveling rebels with its light. There was a breeze, enough to cool them off. Tall trees surrounded them, their height rivaling that of titans. The rebels have been on their journey most of the day and they were beginning to tire. All walked except the leaders of the legion, and in the carriages were those who were still in the process of recovering.

Kenny stared straight ahead, not paying attention to anything in particular. He found himself thinking back to all that happened up until this point, how so much happened in just a short amount of time. It all began on the night Lasai fell, at the hands of Trent and his army. After managing to escape, he was saved and for that he was grateful.

He saw Eric at the corner of his eye, but decided to ignore him. The larger man increased his pace and roughly bumped into his shoulder. Reaching up to his injured shoulder, he glared as Eric continued walking grumbling, "Stupid asshole."

"What the hell is his problem?" Kenny muttered.

Butters, who had witnessed the whole thing, cautiously approached Kenny. He was still wary about being around the other, especially after feeling those dark emotions from him the day before. With a trembling hand, he placed a hand on Kenny's shoulder. He felt feelings of confusion and irritation, but nothing dark and menacing. He sighed in relief.

Kenny turned to him. "Butters?"

"That was Eric. Well, he c-can be a bit of a bully."

"I know. I encountered him this morning. He was picking on Pip earlier."

"O-Oh, I s-see," Butters said, glancing down.

"Yeah…Hey, Butters?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened before. I honestly don't remember it, but I was told that I hurt you and Pip, and I feel horrible for doing that to you guys."

"Ah s-shucks, it's okay, Kenny. W-Well, I can feel that everything is swell now."

It was just like in the morning. Pip had been so forgiving of him and now Butters was giving him the same treatment. "I asked this to Pip, but I want to know. How is it that you can easily forgive me for what I did? Shouldn't you be angry for what happened?"

Butters rubbed his knuckles together and looked down. He looked up and leaned close to Kenny. "H-How 'bout I let you in on a secret?"

"What is it?"

Butters sighed. "I-I have these powers, ya see. If I-I touch someone, I can feel people's emotions and w-what's in their h-hearts."

"You're an empath?"

"Is that what it's called? But to answer y-your question, y-yes. Not a lot of people know 'bout this though, a-and I want to keep it that w-way. Why if the others find out, I-I'll be getting it, I betcha."

"Why is that?"

"Well, would you like it if people saw w-what's in your heart?"

"Hmm...I guess not."

"B-But I have been doing better in building barriers. Just so that if I-I do have contact with someone, w-well I won't be able to feel their emotions. Honest!"

Kenny placed a hand on his shoulder to calm the other down. "It's okay, Butters. I won't say anything. You have my word."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah."

"Oh gods. T-Thanks, Kenny!"

"No problem. So am I the only one who knows?"

"Nah, Christophe, Ali, Bebe, and Pip know. That's all."

"I see. So what now? Where are we heading?"

"Oh, gee. I-I reckon we are heading for Sondosia. Yes, siree. Well, that was what I heard from A-Ali and Christophe."

"I see. So are they the ones in charge here?"

"W-Well, yeah. Them and Craig. Ali's brother, Alex, was the leader of this army three years ago."

"What happened to him?"

"Alex was taken by Trent's men. Oh, I-I bet Ali and Christophe are really going to let him have it now. Yep, Trent won't know w-what's coming to him."

"Christophe too?"

"W-Well yeah. He and Alex were close friends. Ever since Alex was captured, Christophe is all a-about business now."

"It must be hard for them."

"Yeah, t-they are awfully sore about it." Again, he rubbed his knuckles together. "I-I would be sore too if a close friend of mine was taken away. W-Well I would let them have it, by golly."

Kenny stared ahead and continued walking, toning out Butters' rambling. He muttered softly under his breath, "This is going to be a long day."

* * *

Later that night, Kenny settled in his tent, Cerus' journal on his lap. He set the lamp down beside him, illuminating his surroundings. He stared at the leather-bound book in front of him. So this was it, he thought. There may be some useful information Kenny could use to figure out his mystery, despite a majority of the writing that smeared. He flipped it open to a random page and began reading.

_By order of the king…_

_I…assigned to…take in_

_Stanley…Kenneth...my pupils…_

This passage must have been when Cerus took us in, Kenny thought. He remembered meeting his tutor for the first time and how he acted towards Cerus before. He was a rebellious child. A troublemaker he was, doing what he wanted, and Stan had covered for him plenty of times. He always hated others wealthier than himself because of how he was treated in the past, and he refused to follow their orders. The only person he placed his trust in was Stan, despite being a noble.

It wasn't until Cerus saved his life in the woods from a pack of Yehish hounds that he started trusting the wizard and changed his attitude. From there, Cerus taught him how to read and introduced him to the art of the magic.

Has it been that long, he thought with a sigh. He flipped to another page in Cerus' journal and found a drawing that looked exactly like the markings on his shoulder and back. There was a passage next to it. It read:

_These markings…on Kenneth's..._

_…works of someone…power_

_…I recognized…researched…origin._

_This is…work…old friend…_

Kenny furrowed his brows together in thought. Old friend? What did that mean? Did Cerus know who placed the seal on him? But that was impossible, right? He had these markings before he even met Cerus. If he knew who, then why didn't he tell him? Why did he keep it a secret all this time? Was it for protection, fear, or both?

He flipped to the next page. Perhaps there was more information, he thought. Most of this passage was unreadable. Only a few words were barely legible.

_There is…dwelling…Kenneth._

_I fear…safety, and so does…  
_

_Evil…to use…power…control… _

Kenny sighed, closing the journal. This wasn't getting him anywhere, he thought. He tossed the journal with the rest of his stuff. He only got new pieces to the puzzle when he has not put the pieces he already had together. There were so many scattered pieces, he didn't know where to begin.

Maybe it's better I don't know, Kenny thought. But how could he just let it go, especially after everything that has happened the previous day? He had to find the answers, before anyone else got hurt.

* * *

**A/N: I think I've revised this chapter at least two or three times already. And now everyone knows Butters' secret, haha. I always wanted him to have some sort of power and I've been juggling with a whole bunch of abilities he could have, but I decided to make him an empath in the end. I don't know why, but I just thought it would be cool, haha. Anyway, I hope to get the next two chapters up soon. Please leave your reviews! Thanks! **


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